PRAGUE (September 6, 2006) - The 7th International Conference on Romani Linguistics, which takes place on 14–16 September 2006 at the Charles University of Prague, will bring together prominent linguists and anthropologists from 20 different academic institutions all over the world with native speakers of Romani with a practical interest in developing their language at the community level. The special theme of the conference, which is devoted to the memory of Milena Hübschmannová (1933–2005), the founder of Romani Studies in the Czech Republic, is the investigation of cultural aspects of the Romani language as well as of linguistic aspects of the Romani culture.
The ICRL is the only regular international conference on Romani linguistics and the principal forum for discussion of latest research into the structure, history and social functions of the traditional language of the Roma (Gypsies). The conference was first held in 1993 in Hamburg, after the political changes in Central and Eastern Europe brought an unprecedented boom of Romani cultural activities, which also resulted in an increased interest in the Romani language and culture on the part of researchers. In 1996 Prague was the first city of the post-communist Europe to host the conference and, ten years later, Prague will be the first city to host the conference for a second time. The 7th ICRL is organized by the departments of Linguistics and Romani Studies of the Charles University's Philosophical Faculty. The conference presentations will address issues such as Romani origins, Romani standardization or the secret functions of Romani, and will explore the role of modern technologies in describing and developing the language.