Priming, Analogy, and Linguistic Creativity
by CRC 1646 projects A01, A04 & C01 | Bielefeld: 27-29 May 2026
Priming, Analogy and Linguistic Creativity
The workshop The relation of Priming, Analogy, and Linguistic Creativity (27–29 May 2026, Bielefeld, Germany) is organised by three projects of the Collaborative Research Center 1646 Linguistic Creativity in Communication. It deals with creative morphosyntactic expressions. In particular, the workshop focuses on the role of priming and analogy in this context.
Project A01 studies the role of analogy in the creation of novel, creative morphosyntactic patterns. The project takes as a start point existing, grammatical structures and studies to what extent they can be generalised by processes such as priming to create novel structures which are structurally similar.
Project A04 investigates empirical profiles of phenomena of grammatical creativity, exploring a typology that includes grammatical gaps, grammatical conflicts, grammaticalisation and grammatical extravagance. Priming and analogy may have a different impact on speakers' creative solutions in these different classes. They might for instance support ongoing language change, but in situations of gaps or conflicts, where no conventional solution exists, they could play a more conservative role, preventing extreme non-conventionality.
Project C01 investigates how creative word formations are produced and understood, and how priming and analogy shape these processes. Analogy may support the creation of novel forms by extending familiar patterns and help listeners interpret those by linking them to known structures. Priming influences which linguistic patterns are activated during production and comprehension, thereby facilitating or hampering the emergence of creative forms.
Venue
The workshop takes place at Bielefeld University. All activities take place in the main building of the University (number 10 on the campus map).
For navigation, use this address:
Bielefeld University
Universitätsstraße 25
D-33615 Bielefeld
- by train
by train:
You can reach Bielefeld by long-distance trains and regional trains. They will take you to the mainstation, Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof.
From Bielefeld Hauptbahnhof take tram line 4 in the direction of Lohmannshof to the stop Universität (journey time 7 minutes; every 10 mins).
For the timetable for your time of arrival, check here.- by car
by car:
From the north:
Motorway A2: Exit Bi-Ost, Detmolder Str. direction Zentrum (6 km, approx. 10 min). Way via Kreuzstr., Oberntorwall, Stapenhorststr., Kurt-Schumacher-Str. (is signposted).From the south:
Motorway A2: At the Bielefeld junction, take the A33 towards Bi-Zentrum, exit at Bi-Zentrum, follow the signs to the city centre on Ostwestfalendamm (B61), exit at Universität, follow Stapenhorststr., Kurt-Schumacher-Str. (is signposted).- by plane
Closest airports are Düsseldorf (190 km from Bielefeld), Dortmund (110km from Bielefeld), Hanover (110 km from Bielefeld), Cologne-Bonn (200 km from Bielefeld) and Frankfurt am Main (320 km from Bielefeld). All of them can be reached (with mostly only one change) by train. For more details, click here.