Welcome to the PhilSoc website
Detailed content is available by clicking on the links in the panel on the left. Current PhilSoc announcements are listed below.
Next PhilSoc meeting
Annual General Meeting. Date: Fri 9 May 2008, Time: 4.15pm (tea available from 3.45pm). Speaker: Dr Claire Cowie (Edinburgh), Title: Borrowing, Englishing and Coining: morphological productivity in Early Modern English. For details of the venue, please click on Meetings in the panel on the left.
Contents of the next issue of Transactions
PhilSoc is pleased to announce details of the contents of the next issue of Transactions (vol. 106.2) due out in Jul 08. The issue will be a collection of articles on the topic of 'Impersonal constructions in grammatical theory' and guest edited by Anna Siewierska. Articles include 'Ways of attenuating agency in Russian' by Dagmar Divjak and Laura Janda, 'Impersonal is personal: Finnish perspectives' by Marja-Liisa Helasvuo and Maria Vilkuna, 'Clitic Impersonal Constructions in Romance' by Amaya Mendikoetxea, 'Existentials as impersonalising devices: the case of European Portuguese' by Susana Afonso, 'Impersonals in Polish: an LFG perspective' by Anna Kibort, plus an introduction by Anna Siewierska. For more information about Transactions, please click on Journal in the panel on the left.
31 Mar 2008 Back issues of Transactions now available on line
As part of a project between PhilSoc and Blackwell Publishing, the entire back catalogue of TPhS is being digitised and made available online via the Blackwell Synergy on-line delivery platform. Around half the back catalogue (going back to the 1850s) is already available, and is accessible free of charge to PhilSoc members.
31 Mar 2008 Further growth in Transactions readership
PhilSoc is pleased to report further indications that the impact of TPhS grew during 2007: the total readership of online TPhS articles increased by 61%; the number of individuals signing up for email table-of-contents alerts rose by 14%; instituional circulation rose by nearly 9%.
18 Feb 2008 Council announces PhilSoc meeting dates for 08--09
PhilSoc Council is pleased to announce the dates of PhilSoc's meetings during 08--09: Fri 17 Oct 08 (at SOAS); Fri 7 Nov 08 (at the University of Manchester --- see the posting above); Fri 16 Jan 09 (at SOAS); Fri 13 Feb 09 (at SOAS); Sat 14 Mar 09 (at the University of Oxford); Fri 8 May 09 (AGM, at SOAS); and Sat 6 Jun 09 (at the University of Cambridge). Further details will be posted in due course.
18 Feb 2008 PhilSoc's one-day workshop on 'The grammar of space', Manchester, 7 Nov 08
PhilSoc is pleased to announce that its meeting on 7 Nov 08 at the University of Manchester will have the format of a one-day workshop on the theme of 'The grammar of space'. Further details will be posted here in due course.
11 Feb 2008 PhilSoc meeting minutes now available for download
The minutes of PhilSoc's ordinary meetings and AGMs will in future be available for download from the PhilSoc website. Please click on Meetings in the panel on the left; the minutes are available in the panel on the left of that page.
1 Jan 2008 New members of TPhS's International Editorial Board
PhilSoc is pleased to announce the names of six new members of Transactions' International Editorial Board: Stephen Matthews (Hong Kong), Nick Evans (ANU), Donka Minkova (UCLA), Michela Cennamo (Naples), Abdelkader Fassi Fehri (Rabat), Terttu Nevalainen (Helsinki). The new members of the Board will join the six existing members and act as ambassadors for Transactions in their respective regions, and thus further enhance the international profile of the journal.
10 Dec 2007 2008 reprint of 1934 Transactions essay by J. R. R. Tolkien
An essay by J. R. R. Tolkien, 'Chaucer as a philologist: The Reeve's Tale', which originally appeared in Transactions in 1934, will be reprinted in volume 5 (spring 2008) of Tolkien Studies. For details, please click here.
23 Nov 2007 World French Linguistics Congress
PhilSoc is pleased to announce its support for the first World French Linguistics Congress, organised by the Institut de linguistique française and taking place in Paris 9--12 Jul 08. The Congress includes eight plenary lectures, 140 selected papers and 300 poster presentations across twelve themes. The Congress also includes a dedicated poster session for early-career researchers. The Congress website can be accessed by clicking here.
25 Oct 2007 150th anniversary of Trench's seminal paper read to PhilSoc
Nov 2007 marks the 150th anniversary of the reading of one of the most important papers ever to be read to PhilSoc: Richard Chenevix Trench's 'On some deficiencies in our English dictionaries', widely regarded as having created the impetus which ultimately led to the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary.
17 Jul 2007 PhilSoc heads North again
PhilSoc will this year once again be holding its Nov meeting in the North. Following a number of biennial Nov meetings in Manchester, and last year's Nov meeting in Edinburgh, the Society will travel to Yorkshire and meet in Sheffield. PhilSoc looks forward to seeing many of its northern members on Fri 16 Nov.
4 Jul 2007 Fifth RH Robins Prize of the Philological Society
PhilSoc is pleased to announce the Society's fifth RH Robins Prize for an article written by a student associate member on a topic within the Society’s interests. In a departure from previous Prizes, the Society will award the £500 first prize together with a £250 second prize. Click on Robins Prize in the panel on the left for details.
11 May 2007 PhilSoc Council announces winner of the fourth RH Robins Prize
At the PhilSoc AGM held on 11 May 2007, Council announced that Louise Mycock (Manchester) was the winner of the fourth RH Robins Prize of the Society. Louise was presented with the £500 prize for her essay entitled "Constituent question formation and focus: A new typological perspective" which has been accepted for publication in Transactions, where it's expected to appear in issue 105.2.
11 May 2007 All change at the top: New PhilSoc President announced
At the PhilSoc AGM held on 11 May 2007, Prof. Nicholas Sims-Williams stood down as PhilSoc President at the end of a four-year period of office, and was elected as Vice-President. Dr Keith Brown, formerly PhilSoc Publications Secretary and editor of Transactions of the Philological Society, was elected to succeed Prof. Sims-Williams as President. The incoming President thanked the retiring President for his work as President and for his long-standing commitment to the Society.
11 May 2007 New PhilSoc Council line-up unveiled
At the PhilSoc AGM held on 11 May 2007, four Council members stood down, namely, Prof. Beal, Prof. McMahon, Prof. Roberts and Dr Willis. The President thanked the retiring members on behalf of Council and the Society for their service, and welcomed their replacements, namely, Prof. Wendy Ayres-Bennett (Cambridge), Dr Philip Durkin (OUP), Dr Patrick Honeybone (Edinburgh) and Prof. Ruth Kempson (KCL).
21 Mar 2007 Latest PhilSoc Publication now available
The latest volume (Vol. 41) in PhilSoc's Publications series, Colonialism and Grammatical Representation: John Gilchrist and the Analysis of the 'Hindustani' Language in the Late Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries by Richard Steadman-Jones (280pp), is now available. PhilSoc members receive Publications free as part of their annual £10 subscription. Membership details are available by clicking on Membership in the panel on the left. Non-members can order Publications direct from the publisher by clicking on Books in the panel on the left.
1 Feb 2007 Latest PhilSoc Publication now available
The latest volume (Vol. 40) in PhilSoc's Publications series, Focus in Hausa by Melanie Green (290pp), is now available. PhilSoc members receive Publications free as part of their annual £10 subscription. Membership details are available by clicking on Membership in the panel on the left. Non-members can order Publications direct from the publisher by clicking on Books in the panel on the left.
18 Jan 2007 Blackwell Synergy relaunch
Blackwell Synergy, the online journals platform from Blackwell Publishing through which Transactions of the Philological Society is available, has been relaunched for 2007 with a brand new design providing easier navigation, faster loading times and improved access to research tools. In addition to a new look and feel, features have been repositioned to highlight key tools more clearly so that you can make the best use of journals.
31 Dec 2006 International Editorial Board for Transactions
PhilSoc is pleased to announce the names of the founding members of Transactions' International Editorial Board: Prof. Cynthia Allen (Australian National University), Prof. Jan Terje Faarlund (Oslo), Prof. Jay Jayaseelan (Hyderabad), Prof. Frans Plank (Konstanz), Prof. Don Ringe (Pennsylvania) and Prof. Moges Yigezu (Addis Ababa). The members of the International Editorial Board will act as ambassadors for Transactions in their respective regions, and thus further enhance the international profile of the journal.
17 Nov 2006 Record number of entries to RH Robins Prize
PhilSoc Council is delighted to announce that the fourth running of the Society's RH Robins Prize has attracted record levels of interest. A total of twelve entries have been received, more than twice as many as last time. The winner is due to be announced at the Philsoc AGM in May 2007.
1 Oct 2006 New electronic editorial office for TPhS opens
The new electronic editorial office for Transactions of the Philological Society is now open. Not only can potential authors and reviewers register as users, authors are now able to submit manuscripts using the new facility. Please click here to register. The editorial process for all new manuscripts, from submission through refereeing to publication, will now be handled online. The system, Manuscript Central from US company ScholarOne, will allow authors, reviewers and editors to use the same web-based interface when dealing with manuscripts. The system is expected to simplify the process for all involved.
20 Sep 2006 PhilSoc heads North of the border
In a break with recent tradition, PhilSoc will be holding its Nov meeting at the University of Edinburgh. For some time now, the Society has held a biennial meeting in Manchester; the Edinburgh meeting therefore represents a further move to extend coverage northwards. PhilSoc looks forward to seeing many of its northern members on Fri 17 Nov.
6 Jul 2006 PhilSoc Vice-President elected British Academy Fellow
PhilSoc is delighted to announce that Vice-President Professor Nigel Vincent was elected a Fellow of the British Academy at their AGM on 6 July 2006.
20 Apr 2006 New online submission to TPhS
PhilSoc and Blackwell Publishing Ltd have agreed to set up an online manuscript-management system for Transactions of the Philological Society. The system, Manuscript Central from US company ScholarOne, will allow authors, referees and editors to use the same web-based interface when dealing with manuscripts. The system is expected to simplify the process for all involved.
1 Feb 2006 New Publications Secretary
As of 1 Feb 2006, Dr Delia Bentley joins Professor Andrew Linn and Dr Paul Rowlett as PhilSoc's new third Publications Secretary. Delia will edit PhilSoc's books series, the Publications of the Philological Society, while Andrew and Paul look after PhilSoc's journal, the Transactions of the Philological Society. Click on Books in the panel on the left for details.
24 Jan 2006 Century-old Transactions article digitised for AHRC project
Sections of an article by W. W. Skeat entitled "Nominale sive Verbale" and published in Transactions in 1906 are to be digitised as part of a major AHRC-funded research project called Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub. For details, please click here.
1 Jan 2006 New Publications Secretary
As of 1 Jan 2006, Professor Andrew Linn joins Dr Paul Rowlett as joint Publications Secretary. Andrew and Paul will edit PhilSoc's journal, the Transactions of the Philological Society. Click on Journal in the panel on the left for details.
31 Aug 2005 Death of Professor Murray B. Emeneau
It is with deep regret that PhilSoc announces that its Honorary Member, Professor Murray Barnson Emeneau, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., L.H.D., LL.D., D.Lit., F.B.A., died peacefully in his sleep at his home on Monday 29 August at the age of 101. A full obituary will appear in number 104.1 of Transactions.
6 May 2005 PhilSoc Council announces winner of the third RH Robins Prize
At the PhilSoc AGM held on 6 May 2005, Council announced that Sarah Turner (University College, Oxford) was the winner of the third RH Robins Prize of the Society. Sarah's essay was called "Post-verbal subjects in Early East Slavonic". Sarah will receive the £500 prize once a revised version of her essay has been received and accepted for publication in Transactions, where it's expected to appear in issue 104.1.
6 May 2005 Launch of www.philsoc.org.uk
PhilSoc's new website, www.philsoc.org.uk, was launched on 6 May 2005 to coincide with the Society's AGM. As well as incorporating all the features of the old site, the new site carries the distinctive PhilSoc logo and colour scheme. New features include a user-friendly file-download facility, and a facility allowing PhilSoc Publications to be ordered direct from the publishers. The new site has been built by DancingDog Web Design.