Month: October 2018

Call for Papers: Lavender Languages and Linguistics 26, Gothenburg, Sweden, May 2–4 2019

The Lavender Languages and Linguistics conference, dedicated to language and sexuality research, has run annually since 1993. In May 2019 scholars will convene in Sweden, with the conference being hosted in Gothenburg. Lavender Language 26 will retain its inclusive, supportive atmosphere and students and scholars with an interest in language and sexuality (broadly defined) will be welcome.

Confirmed keynote speakers
Erika Alm, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Mons Bissenbakker, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Rodrigo Borba, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Holly Cashman, University of New Hampshire, USA
Thabo Msibi, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Shirley-Anne Tate, Leeds Beckett University, UK

Organizers
Stina Ericsson, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Tommaso M. Milani, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Kristine Køhler Mortensen, University of Gothenburg, Sweden

They invite abstracts for presentations, which explore the linkages between language and sexuality in the broadest sense. The conference aims to illuminate the diversity in the field by welcoming varied topics demonstrating the diverse theoretical, methodological and empirical contexts for researching language and sexuality.

Deadline for individual abstracts: 30 November 2018. For more information, please visit the Lavender Languages and Linguistics website.

About Names: Evolution of Randall has spanned multiple generations

Poet Dudley Randall

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his September 24th column, he looks at the history of the name Randall.

Old Norse Rannulfr, “shield-wolf,” came to England with Norman conquerors in 1066 as Randulf. Clerks writing in Latin made Randolph the common spelling. Randall or Randell was Randolph’s nickname, adding French diminutive “el” to Rand. In 2010, 54,764 Americans had Randall as a surname, while there were 41,129 Randolphs, showing Randall was more common as the everyday medieval form.

Randall and Randolph became rare as first names after 1400, but never vanished. When Social Security’s yearly name lists started in 1880, Randolph ranked 398th and Randall 731st. For the next 55 years, Randolph ranked about the same while Randall steadily rose. Randall surpassed Randolph in 1936. Both then boomed — Randolph peaked at 154th in 1952 and Randall at 53rd in 1955, when 6,684 were born.

Want to know more? Read on to find out more about Randalls in American history!