Slovenski jezik – Slovene Linguistic Studies 16 (2024) | 139–148 | CC BY SA 4.0
Danko Šipka (ORCID: 0000-0002-9144-8155)
Arizona State University, Arizona, USA
danko.sipka@asu.edu
Wayles Browne (ORCID 0000-0001-5843-6497)
Cornell University, New York, USA
ewb2@cornell.edu
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/16.1.06 
Slavic RefeRence WoRkS and the RepReSentation 
of Slovene : a caSe Study
The present paper uses the example of the Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics 
to elucidate the process of documenting Slavic languages in reference works: the ra-
tionale for the project and its contextualization amid other reference works for Slavic 
languages; the execution of the project, from the selection of the topics and authors to 
providing editors’ feedback to refereeing the submissions using external reviewers, and 
the content of the volume. Special attention is devoted to how the Slovene language 
is represented in this volume.
Keywords: reference works, Slavic studies, Slovene language, Slavic linguistics, Slavic 
languages
Avtorja se na primeru projekta Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics ukvarjata 
s procesom dokumentiranja slovanskih jezikov v referenčnih delih: utemeljitvijo 
projekta in njegovo umeščenostjo med druga referenčna dela s področja slovanskih 
jezikov; izbiro tem in avtorjev, posredovanjem povratnih informacij urednikov in 
recenziranjem prispevkov z uporabo zunanjih recenzentov in vsebino zvezka. 
Posebna pozornost je namenjena predstavitvi zastopanosti slovenskega jezika v tem 
zvezku.
Ključne besede: referenčna dela, slavistika, slovenski jezik, slovansko jezikoslovje, 
slovanski jeziki
IntroductIon
The present paper discusses the process of documenting Slavic linguistics in 
reference works with special emphasis on the representation of the Slovene 
language in that process. The case study used here is the Cambridge Handbook 
140 Slovenski jezik – Slovene Linguistic Studies 16 (2024)
of Slavic Linguistics (Šipka, Browne 2024). We will first address the rationale 
for the project and contextualize it amid other reference works for Slavic 
languages. We will then proceed to discuss the execution of the project, from 
the selection of the topics and authors, to providing editors’ feedback, to 
refereeing the submissions using external reviewers. Next, we will address 
the content of the volume. Finally, we will show how the Slovene language 
is represented in this volume and more broadly in similar reference works.
contextualIzatIon
At the time this volume (Šipka, Browne 2024) was conceived, there were various 
other general surveys of Slavic languages or linguistics, but a handbook of Slavic 
linguistics, a compact book that could be used in various scenarios in teaching 
and research, was conspicuously absent. An account of those related resources 
that are still most relevant and useful looks as follows. First, there are two general 
introductions to Slavic languages: Sussex and Cubberley (2006) and Comrie and 
Corbett (1993). However, these are introductions to the languages per se, not to 
linguistic research about them. Second, there is an unfolding online Encyclopedia 
of Slavic Languages and Linguistics (Greenberg 2022), which is a large encyclo-
pedic work rather than a handbook. Then, there are collected volumes that offer a 
much narrower list of topics in Slavic linguistics, for example: Aspects of Slavic 
Linguistics: Formal Grammar, Lexicon and Communication (Mueller-Reichau, 
Guhl 2017), which actually contains papers by University of Leipzig linguists 
and their friends, reflecting just their own interests, or New Insights into Slavic 
Linguistics (Witkoś, Jaworski 2014), which is a conference volume. There is, 
furthermore, Die slavischen Sprachen: ein internationales Handbuch zu ihrer 
Struktur, ihrer Geschichte und ihrer Erforschung (Kempgen et al. 2009) which 
is very thorough, but most texts are in German, and, as such, not accessible to 
most English speakers. It is furthermore encyclopedic in its nature, so it is meant 
to be a library resource, rather than something used in classes and as a handbook. 
The present handbook thus complements existing resources. It is worth noting 
that the time of its publication roughly coincides with two related complementary 
offerings – The Balkan Languages (Friedman, Joseph 2025), a survey of Slavic 
and non-Slavic languages of the Balkan Sprachbund (‘Linguistic League’), 
and Water, Whiskey, and Vodka: A Story of Slavic Languages (Šipka 2023), an 
introduction to Slavic languages for a general audience.
Danko Šipka, Wayles Browne, Slavic Reference Works and the Representation of Slovene 141
The present volume is a handbook. The Oxford English Dictionary (OUP 
2023: s.v.) defines handbook as follows: 
Originally: a book small enough to be easily portable and intended to be kept close 
to hand, typically one containing a collection of passages important for reference or a 
compendium of information on a particular subject, esp. a book of religious instruction 
(now historical). Later also more generally: any book (usually but not necessarily 
concise) giving information such as facts on a particular subject, guidance in some 
art or occupation, instructions for operating a machine, or information for tourists.
In our case, the relevant part of the definition is that it is a book giving 
information such as facts on a particular subject, a book that is concise. The 
concise nature is apparent even from the term, calqued from Latin, manuāle with 
the same meaning, ultimately from manuālis ‘suitable to be held by hand’. 
The subject at hand was Slavic linguistics. The intention then was to provide 
a succinct compendium of main topics in Slavic linguistics. This orientation 
is what differentiates the present volume from all aforementioned compendia, 
which focus on Slavic languages rather than linguistics or strive for compre-
hensiveness rather than succinctness. With that in mind, we will now proceed 
to discussing the process of compiling this volume.
executIon
The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics sailed through the turbulent 
waters of global events, between the Scylla of COVID-19 and the Charybdis 
of the War in Ukraine. It now reaches its destination primarily due to the 
resilience and collegiality of all its collaborators, starting from the authors of 
its 35 chapters, through the graduate and undergraduate student researchers 
who helped with various aspects of the project, to the colleagues who served 
as reviewers for each chapter, selflessly contributing their time and expertise.
The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics seeks to provide a systematic 
review of relevant topics and research about them in Slavic linguistics. The 
review is approach-neutral and involves synchronic and diachronic perspec-
tives. The goal of each chapter is to identify and review the following: (a) the 
linguistic features pertinent to Slavic languages, (b) the development of these 
features from Proto-Slavic to the present-day Slavic languages (to the degree 
142 Slovenski jezik – Slovene Linguistic Studies 16 (2024)
appropriate for the topic of the chapter), (c) the main findings in historical and 
ongoing research devoted to these features, and (d) a summary of what the 
state of the art in the field is and what the directions of further research will be. 
While remaining accessible to a broad circle of scholars and students in the 
fields of linguistics and Slavic studies, the present volume caters in particular 
to the following three readerships. First, it offers a review of main areas of 
inquiry in Slavic studies to the current and prospective students of Slavic lin-
guistics. The brisk introductions to the field provided in each chapter are thus 
meant to be teasers that would help these students to select the field or fields 
of their specialization. Second, nowadays Slavic linguists typically specialize 
in one or several rather narrow areas of inquiry. The chapters discussing the 
fields other than one’s own offer to these scholars an accessible introduction 
and a chance to broaden their horizons in Slavic studies. Finally, in contrast to 
the previous group, non-Slavic linguists may be interested in the chapters of 
their specialization. For example, a scholar of inflection in Baltic or Germanic 
languages may want to get some introductory information about that field in 
Slavic languages.
Given its intent and target readership, chapters are approach-neutral. Similarly, 
they deploy broadly known terminology. This makes the text accessible to 
every student of Slavic studies and linguistics, no matter what theoretical 
background they may have. Just like any field of human inquiry, the field 
of Slavic linguistics is multifaceted, with lines of investigation meandering 
through countless problems and topics. This made the task of selecting the 
topics to be included in a volume of a limited length difficult if not impossible. 
Cognizant of the aforementioned complexity of the problem, we attempted to 
include the most prominent problems and topics that are of relevance for the 
intended readership of this volume. Needless to say, other editors might have 
selected a different set of topics.
Authors for each chapter have been selected, without fear or favor, as 
established experts in their particular fields. It is important that in addition to 
inclusivity in the subject matter (which comes with the territory) the volume 
proves to be temporally and geographically inclusive. Thus it includes early, 
mid, and late career scholars of Slavic studies. In a way, it gives insight into 
the past, present, and future of Slavic linguistics. The range of places from 
which the authors come testifies to the latter. While, as is usual in publica-
tions in English, authors from countries like the United States, Canada, and 
Danko Šipka, Wayles Browne, Slavic Reference Works and the Representation of Slovene 143
the United Kingdom constitute the core of the contributors, there are authors 
from Germany and Austria, where Slavic studies are exceptionally strong, 
but also from other European countries, such as Belgium and Spain, and from 
Japan. Last, but definitely not least, there are authors from the Slavic-speak-
ing countries – from Croatia, Czech Republic, Montenegro, Poland, Russia, 
Slovenia, and Serbia. This is particularly valuable given that, despite recent 
rapprochement processes, research traditions in English-speaking countries 
and those around the Slavic world still seem to live separate lives with some 
notable exceptions. For example, there is a prominent research group at 
Tromsø, Norway, led by an American, Laura Janda, and a Norwegian, Tore 
Nesset. Various exchange programs, most notably Fulbright, and more recently 
Erasmus Plus, have also been instrumental in cross-pollination of research. 
One should furthermore mention regular meetings that have brought together 
scholars internationally on a regular basis, e.g., the Biennial Balkan and South 
Slavic Linguistics, Literature and Folklore; the annual meetings of the Slavic 
Linguistics Society, which alternate between sides of the Atlantic, as well as 
the smaller, but influential SCLA conferences (Slavic Cognitive Linguistics 
Association). There were also individual scholars, such as Joseph Schallert, 
one author in this volume, who collaborated with the Moscow Accentological 
School. All that being said, mainstream research still remains largely divided 
by the Atlantic Ocean.
The writing and production process looked as follows. First, the authors for 
the chapters were selected and confirmed. The next step involved soliciting 
500-word abstracts from the authors. The authors were asked to address main
issues of their respective topics, provide relevant research in the field, and,
where relevant outline historical developments. Both editors provided feedback
to the authors and asked them to commence with designing chapters with that
feedback in mind.
Once the first draft of each chapter had been received, the two editors 
provided their feedback, and asked the authors to incorporate it in a second 
draft. The new draft was then distributed to at least two external reviewers 
(many chapters received three and even four external reviews). The resulting 
feedback was reviewed by the editors and mutatis mutandis forwarded to the 
authors, who then produced the third draft. Finally, a professional editor from 
Cambridge University Press provided her feedback, which was reviewed by 
the editors. The editors then shared this feedback. The fourth and final draft 
144 Slovenski jezik – Slovene Linguistic Studies 16 (2024)
was reviewed by the authors in the production process. One can see that each 
chapter has undergone a most rigorous procedure of multiple checks and 
balances between the authors’ and editors’ visions. One should also note the 
most collegial atmosphere around this project and the reviewers’ selfless con-
tribution of time and expertise. Indeed, professional courtesy and friendliness 
within this project was exemplary and we hope for such an atmosphere in all 
further projects of this kind.
It is particularly worth noting that in this intricate and time-consuming 
process we have enjoyed support of various institutions – from multiple un-
dergraduate student research grants of the Melikian Center at Arizona State 
University, to funds from Cornell University, to an advance from Cambridge 
University Press. A hallmark of this project, perhaps a formula to be replicated 
in similar undertakings, was inclusion of undergraduate and graduate students 
in the project activities at various stages. McKenna Kellar, an undergraduate 
student at the time, was instrumental in corresponding with the authors in the 
initial stages when they were selected. Mary Murphy, another undergraduate, 
was in charge of corresponding with reviewers and authors after they had 
been selected. Gina Scarpete Walters, a graduate student, created the index 
for the volume. This was a win-win solution. The students were included in 
the research process as a kind of service learning, and became acquainted 
with both the landscape of Slavic linguistics and with important stages in 
preparing linguistic publications. The editors received tangible help with 
some time-consuming activities in the process of producing this manual. 
The process we have outlined has led to the volume of the content that will 
be discussed next.
structure
The volume has the following structure. The first six chapters are devoted to 
phonology. Draga Zec, Cornell University, discusses Word Stress. Irena Sawicka 
(Copernicus University, Toruń) presents Vocalism, and Peter Jurgec (University 
of Toronto) discusses Consonantism. Alexei Kochetov of the same University 
is next with his analysis of the Syllable Structure. Next, Darya Kavitskaya, 
of University of California Berkeley, addresses Phonologically Conditioned 
Alternations. The final chapter in this section, penned by Radek Šimík (Charles 
University, Prague), is devoted to Prosodic Reflexes of Information Structure.
Danko Šipka, Wayles Browne, Slavic Reference Works and the Representation of Slovene 145
The next section comprises four chapters focusing on inflectional morphol-
ogy and two exploring lexical morphology. Marek Majer (University of Łódź) 
discusses Declensions, while Ian Press (University of St. Andrews) presents 
Conjugations. Hagen Pitsch (Leipzig) writes about Tense and Mood Forms. 
In a final chapter, Stephen Dickey (University of Kansas) explores Aspect in 
Verbs. In the first chapter devoted to lexical morphology, Frank Y. Gladney 
(University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana) discusses Lexical Derivation. The 
section on morphology is concluded by the chapter on Lexical Composition 
written by Mate Kapović (University of Zagreb).
A cohort of chapters treating syntax is next. Jana Willer-Gold (University 
College London) discusses Agreement. In the next chapter, Barbara Citko 
(University of Washington) analyses Wh-Dependencies. Milan Mihaljević 
(University of Zagreb) is next with his presentation of Coordination and Subor-
dination. In the following chapter, Steven Franks (Indiana University) discusses 
Numerals and Quantity Expressions. Then, there is a chapter by Franc Lanko 
Marušič, Petra Mišmaš, and Rok Žaucer (University of Nova Gorica) about 
the Placement and Ordering of the Enclitics. Nerea Madariaga (University 
of the Basque Country) analyses Secondary Predication in the next chapter. 
Luka Szucsich (Humboldt University, Berlin) is next with his discussion of 
Polarity. Then Alina Israeli (American University) presents Null Subjects. 
Jasmina Milićević (Dalhousie University) presents Voice in the next chapter. 
Finally, Elena Titov (University College London) discusses Morphosyntactic 
Reflexes of Information Structure.
The next section presents three chapters devoted to the lexicon. Valentina 
Apresjan (Nazarbaev University/Dartmouth College) and Alexei Shmelev 
(Moscow State Pedagogical University) discuss the Structure of the Lexicon. 
Rajna Dragićević (University of Belgrade) and Milan Ivanović (University of 
Montenegro) analyze Lexical Semantics. Dragićević and Danko Šipka (Arizona 
State University) are next with the presentation of Lexical Borrowing. 
The next section includes chapters addressing sociolinguistics, broadly 
understood, and geographical approaches. Serge Sharoff (University of Leeds) 
and Nenad Ivanović (Institute for the Serbian Language of SASA) discuss 
Sociolinguistic Variation. Danko Šipka (Arizona State University) and Mladen 
Uhlik (University of Ljubljana, ZRC SAZU) consider False Cognates. Joseph 
Schallert (University of Toronto) is next with his presentation of Dialectal 
Fragmentation. In the following chapter Dieter Stern (Ghent University) 
146 Slovenski jezik – Slovene Linguistic Studies 16 (2024)
discusses Language Contacts. Next, Motoki Nomachi (Hokkaido University, 
Sapporo) addresses Slavic Micro-Languages. Oksana Laleko (State University 
of New York, New Paltz) takes up Heritage Language Forms. There follow 
two chapters on epilinguistic issues of relevance in Slavic languages, both 
penned by Daniel Bunčić (University of Cologne). The first discusses Scripts, 
the second Orthographies.
The final section is devoted to prominent applied linguistic fields in Slavic 
linguistics. In the first chapter, Tania Ivanova-Sullivan (University of California, 
Los Angeles) and Irina A. Sekerina (City University of New York) discuss 
Psycholinguistics and Language Acquisition. In the second, Tomaž Erjavec 
(Jožef Štefan Institute, Ljubljana) addresses Natural Language Processing.
It is of particular importance that the coverage of the topics features a 
balance between various fields of Slavic linguistics. Thus, for example, there 
are syntactic and phonological topics that, since the Chomskian turn, have 
dominated Slavic linguistics in North America, but there are also topics in 
lexicology and morphology, which is traditionally strong on the other side of 
the Pond. Furthermore, in addition to more theoretically-minded topics (for 
example those addressing information structure or psycholinguistics), there 
are those that tackle more applied issues (e.g., computational linguistics). One 
can say that the choice of topics represented in this volume displays the rich 
variety of topics and approaches in current Slavic linguistics.
The volume with the contents as outlined above has already received 
accolades from many notable colleagues in the field. As the editors of this 
volume, we can only hope that the following words by Lenore Grenoble of the 
University of Chicago, featured on the publisher’s web page of this Handbook, 
will become prophetic: “This monumental volume brings together cutting-edge 
research in the field of Slavic linguistics by a collection of leading scholars, 
tracing both the historical foundations and providing state-of-the art theoretical 
contributions to the field. More than a handbook, it sets the stage for future 
directions in Slavic linguistics.”
slovene representatIon
The Slovene language is represented very well in this and various other comple-
mentary publications. In the two volumes devoted to Slavic languages, Sussex 
and Cubberley (2006) and Comrie and Corbett (1993), Slovene is considered 
Danko Šipka, Wayles Browne, Slavic Reference Works and the Representation of Slovene 147
one of 13 major Slavic languages, and is covered quite well. Similarly, in Šipka 
(2023), Slovene is mentioned on 31 (out of 200 pages), there is a section about 
the development of literacy in Slovenia and the index testifies to references 
to various Slovene men of letters, from Trubar to Prešeren to Ahačič. The 
coverage is equally strong in the Brill encyclopedia (Greenberg 2022-), which 
comes as no surprise given that the editor-in-chief is a Slovenianist. 
The present volume continues the tradition. Slovene is amply represented. 
The index mentions the name of the language 153 times. The abbreviation Sln. 
(used for examples from Slovene) has a frequency of 150. In addition, some 
topics that are exemplified primarily using Slovene data are well represent-
ed. For example, “number, dual” is mentioned 12 times. The representation 
of Slovene is also well-documented in the appropriate article in Greenberg 
(2022-): https://bibliographies.brill.com/BSLO/. One should not understate the 
role of the Seminar of the Slovene Language, Literature, and Culture (Seminar 
slovenskega jezika, literature in kulture, annual since 1965) in making Slovene 
linguistic issues prominent in a broader research community. Multiple authors 
of this volume and its editors have participated in this seminar.
Last but not least, Slovenia is embodied by Slovene authors. There are five 
authors from Slovenia (Erjavec, Marušič, Mišmaš, Uhlik, and Žaucer) and one 
Slovene from Canada (Jurgec).
references
Corbett, Greville, Comrie, Bernard (eds.). 1993. The Slavonic Languages. London: Routledge. 
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781136861376
Friedman, Victor, Joseph, Brian. 2025. The Balkan Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys 
series). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Greenberg, Marc (ed.). 2022-. Encyclopedia of Slavic Languages and Linguistics Online. Leiden: 
Brill. https://brill.com/view/db/eslo
Kempgen, Sebastian, Gutschmidt, Karl, Berger, Tilman, Kosta, Peter (eds.). 2009-. Die slavischen 
Sprachen: ein internationales Handbuch zu ihrer Struktur, ihrer Geschichte und ihrer 
Erforschung. Berlin: DeGruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110215472
Mueller-Reichau, Olav, Guhl, Marcel. 2017. Aspects of Slavic Linguistics: Formal Grammar, 
Lexicon and Communication. Berlin: DeGruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110517873
Oxford University Press. 2023. Handbook. In Oxford English dictionary. https://www.oed.com 
(December 19, 2023).
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Sussex, Ronald, Cubberley, Paul (eds.). 2006. The Slavic Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge 
University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486807
Šipka, Danko. 2023. Water, Whiskey, and Vodka: A Story of Slavic Languages. Washington, 
DC: Georgetown University Press.
Šipka, Danko, Browne, Wayles (eds.). 2024. The Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics 
(Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics). Cambridge: Cambridge University 
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Witkoś, Jacek, Jaworski, Sylwester. 2014. New Insights into Slavic Linguistics. Berlin: Peter 
Lang. https://doi.org/10.3726/978-3-653-04359-4
Received December 2023, accepted January 2024.
Prispelo decembra 2023, sprejeto januarja 2024.
summary
slavIc reference WorKs and the representatIon of slovene: a case study
The present paper uses the example of the Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics 
to elucidate the process of documenting Slavic languages in reference works. The first 
section addresses the rationale for the project and contextualizes it amid other reference 
works for Slavic languages. The second section is devoted to the execution of the 
project, from the selection of the topics and authors to providing editors’ feedback to 
refereeing the submissions using external reviewers. The third section discusses the 
content of the volume. Special attention is devoted to how the Slovene language is 
represented in this volume and more broadly in similar reference works, all of which 
is the topic of the final section of this paper.
slavIstIčna referenčna dela In zastopanost slovenščIne: študIja prImera
Avtorja se na primeru projekta Cambridge Handbook of Slavic Linguistics ukvarjata 
s procesom dokumentiranja slovanskih jezikov v referenčnih delih. Prvi del 
obravnava utemeljitev projekta in ga umešča med druga referenčna dela 
slovanskih jezikov. Drugi del je posvečen izvedbi projekta: izbiri tem in avtorjev, 
posredovanju povratnih informacij urednikov in recenziranju prispevkov z uporabo 
zunanjih recenzentov. Tretji del obravnava vsebino zvezka, pri čemer je posebna 
pozornost je namenjena temu, kako je v tem zvezku zastopan slovenski jezik in 
širše v podobnih referenčnih delih.