Birgit Eggert – Page 11 – New trends in Nordic Socio-onomastics

Urban toponomy: teaching socio-onomastics in practice

by Line Sandst

My socio-onomastic research focuses on urban toponomy and meaning-making. I am particularly interested in the modalities and socially constructed geosemiotic conventions that enable language users to distinguish between different grammatical categories (e.g. between proper names and appellatives) – and therefore different kinds of meanings – in the linguistic landscapes.

As assistant professor of Danish Linguistics at Aalborg University, I teach a diverse group of subjects from Danish phonetics, to rhetoric and theories of argumentation to language history. However, I have also experimented with a more direct kind of research-based teaching in socio-onomastics for MA students, as I outline below. I share my thoughts on my teaching practice in the hope that others might benefit from my experiences. Please do feel free to share your viewpoints, experiences and give feedback so we may all benefit from an exchange of ideas.

Teaching objectives

When teaching socio-onomastics from an urban toponymy point of view, I find it important that the students gain experience from actual field studies. I put together a curriculum of texts that can be divided into four overall topics: an introduction to onomastics, methodology, current socio-onomastic studies, and theories of names and naming and other theoretical problems depending on interest, such as multimodality, geosemiotics, language policy etc. During the course, we discuss the texts on the curriculum, but I also spend time helping the students to come up with a relevant research question/problem, and prepare them for conducting fieldwork.

Finding a research question is usually the hardest part for my students. The socio-onomastic scholarship on the curriculum serves as a framework and inspiration for them to come up with their own research questions and designs. I encourage them to find a problem that sparks their academic curiosity as I find that a personal interest is the best motivation for academic work. However, for those students who find it hard to come up with a question, I present three examples of possible studies for inspiration:

Investigation of commercial names in the linguistic landscape: Pick a street or an area of town and take photos of the commercial names in the study area. What do you find? (Possible angles depending on the data could be (one or a combination of) e.g. multimodal names, names that do not conform to expectations, names coined in other languages than Danish. Do you find any patterns or tendencies? Are you able to say something about the identity of the study area based on the commercial names?)
Investigation of recent street names: Pick an area where there is a construction project under way. Take a walk in the area and take photos. What kind of identity is being created? Do the new names fit the area? How come/ why not? You may even compare your findings to relevant architectural drawings and building contractors’ documents containing ‘visions/narratives’ about the area’s future identity.
Investigation of the relation between commercial names and street names: Pick an area with theme based street names and take photos of the commercial names and street names in the area. How many – if any – of the commercial names have a name that fits the theme of the group named area? Are you able to say something about the identity of the area based on the relation between the two name categories?

I encourage my students to work in groups or pairs because it enables them to discuss and solve the problems that might occur during the data collection and later in the analysis process. I find that when students are held responsible to each other, they are less inclined to give up if they are confronted with unforeseen obstacles, or if they find the task at hand hard to complete.

In class, I spend time discussing research questions and research designs with each group and make sure they have a clear idea of how to conduct the actual fieldwork. When interpreting proper names in the linguistic landscape, the researcher always needs to consider the context thoroughly. This is why I encourage my students to take pictures of the proper names as well as other objects they might find interesting in the field, and I instruct them to take field notes during the field study. This makes the subsequent analysis and interpretation much easier.

Presenting the data and results

In the last session, each group has to present their study for the class and I instruct them to present:

Research question
Presentation of data
Possible sources of errors / limitations
Analysis and results.

All listeners have to give constructive critique to their fellow students on their fieldwork and studies. Since all students will have fieldwork experience themselves, I find that they are very capable of asking relevant and constructive questions to the studies conducted by their fellow students. Asking the students to offer criticism to one another gives them a unique possibility to reflect upon others’ as well as their own role as researchers. If necessary, I direct the discussions and ask them to relate practice to theory. I sometimes ask how they would have conducted their study, if they had to do it all over, in light of what they have learned through our discussions. My students tend to have already considered the methodological implications of their own practices, and asking this question allows them to reflect further on their study as the first step towards an improved or perhaps different empirical study based on fieldwork – hopefully one with a socio-onomastic point of departure.

Stadnamn og språkkontakt i vikingtida

af Krister SK Vasshus

I doktorgradsprosjektet mitt prøver eg å finna ut kva stadnamna kan fortelja oss om vikingtidas kontakt i landområda kring Skagerrak. Prosjektet kan skildrast som historisk sosioonomastisk, (sjølv om dette ikkje er ein etablert og namngitt forskingsdisiplin på nåverande tidspunkt). Eg skal samanlikna gards- og bustadnamn i Grenland, Vestfold. Østfold, Båhuslen og Vendsyssel for å finna ut korleis og i kor stor grad folks samhandling på kryss og tvers av havet har påverka namneutvalet her. Hypotesen min er at stadnamna i dette området som følgje av kontakt liknar meir på kvarandre i type og innhald enn ein elles ville forventa.

At der var kontakt i dette området i vikingtida, er godt dokumentert på ulike måtar. Arkeologien og tidlege historiske kjelder fortel om politiske relasjonar i den høgaste samfunnseliten og handelssamband med import og eksport av bestemte varer. For eksempel skildra Ottar frå Hålogaland ei handelsreise på 800-talet til mellom anna Skiringssal i Vestfold og Hedeby i Slesvig, som er gjenfortalt i ei utviding av Historiarum adverta paganos libri VII. Eit anna eksempel er at dei frankiske annalane frå 813 fortel at dei danske samkongane Harald og Reginfred ikkje møtte opp til eit avtalt møte med Karl den store fordi dei var i den delen av kongedømet deira som heitt Vestfold der høvdingane og folket gjorde opprør (altså var Vestfold ein del av det danske kongedømet).

*Sånn såg kanskje det skuffa fjeset til Karl den store ut då Harald og Reginfred ikkje dukka opp til møtet. Bildet er frå eit glasvindu i Notre Dame. Foto frå Wikimedia gitt ut til fri bruk.*

Kontakt mellom menneske går hand i hand med språkkontakt, og denne språkkontakten finn me tydelege spor av i området. Nettopp derfor har me dialektord i nordjyske dialektar som minner meir om norsk, som til dømes trudne og trokke (korresponderer til dei norske verba trutna og tråkka). Meir lydlege forhold kan òg nemnast, som at ein i Båhuslen seier odde og ikkje udde, som ein gjer i rikssvensk. Pronomenet eg blir i nokre jyske dialektar uttalt meir som i norske dialektar, æk – altså utan j i framlyd. Kort sagt, finst der mykje som tyder på gjensidig språkleg påverking over havet kring Skagerrak. Sjølv om stadnamn er ein viktig del av språket, har me ikkje ei god og samlande oversikt over korleis språkkontakten over Skagerrak har påverka stadnamna. Som kjelde til fortidas språk, er stadnamn særleg veleigna fordi dei er geografisk fastlåste, i motsetnad til dialektgrensene som beveger seg heile tida. Derfor gir undersøkingar av stadnamn ikkje berre spennande ny kunnskap om fortidas namngiving, men òg om sosiolingvistiske høve.

Der er verkeleg mange aspekt ein kan gå inn i når ein vil undersøka spor etter språkleg og kulturell kontakt i stadnamn. Eksempelvis kunne ein gå gjennom alle stadnamna som inneheld personnamn for å undersøka om ein har hatt noko felles mønster i personnamna. Eller du kan gå gjennom bestemte typar landskapstermar, som dal, kleiv og myr, og undersøka utbreiinga av dei i stadnamna i heile Skandinavia. Gudenamna som opptrer i stadnamn har Stefan Brink allereie gjennomgått, der han tydeleg kunne sjå regionale forskjellar i kva gudar som blei brukt i stadnamn kor. For eksempel er Ty nesten utelukkande å finna i Danmark, mens Ull/Ullinn berre finst i mellomsvenske og norske stadnamn sør for Trøndelag.

Som du ser, er ein full gjennomgang av alle aspekta av språkkontakt i Skandinavia enormt stort. Mitt prosjekt blir derfor avgrensa til å undersøka enkelte namneledd og korleis dei er samansette i området. Det kan vera namneklassar, altså gardsnamn som sluttar på –heim, –vin, –tveit og –stad, eller det kan vera språkledd som går igjen i mange stadnamn, som til dømes holt, hage eller sal. I desse namna skal eg undersøka samansetjingsmåtar og distribusjon for å bygga opp ei forståing om korleis stadnamna i Skandinavia er påverka av kontakten folka her hadde med kvarandre.

*Distribusjon av namn som inneheld* holt basert på moderne overflateform. Dei norske stadnamna med dette språkleddet, har ein større tettleik i kystnære område omkring Skagerrak. I Sverige ligg dei særs tett i store område av landsdelen Götaland, mens dei i Danmark er spesielt konsentrerte i Vendsyssel, heilt nord i Jylland.
*(Figur laga av Peder Gammeltoft).*

På kartet over ser du ein grov oversikt over namn samansett med holt, basert på moderne overflateform). Både i Sverige og Danmark har me tydelege knutepunkt for desse namna. I Noreg har me ikkje så mange av desse namna, men distribusjonen av dei som er der, er interessant. Kan det vera resultat av ein kontakt mellom dei svenske og danske områda der holt er mest vanlege? Det skal bli spennande å analysera og samanlikna namna grundigare, og komma eit lite skritt nærare å forstå det samla bildet av stadnamna i Skandinavia.

Vil du lesa meir om språkkontakt?

I denne teksten har eg skrive om korfor danske dialektar har eit keltisk ord for grevling.
I ein annan tekst skreiv eg om korleis ein handterer lånord og fornorsking i norsk.

LINK-LIVES: første projektår

af Birgit Eggert

Det danske projekt Link-Lives, som blev præsenteret her på bloggen for et års tid siden, har snart været i gang i 1 år. Med en projektperiode på 5 år, er det naturligvis begrænset hvor mange resultater der er opnået på nuværende tidspunkt, men der er oprettet en hjemmeside hvor man kan følge med i projektets udvikling fremover.

Projekthjemmesiden link-lives.dk
Projektets ret nye hjemmeside link-lives.dk er omdrejningspunktet for formidlingen omkring projektets fremgang og udvikling. Der er oplysninger om projektets partnere og de bevillingsgivende fonde. Dele af sitet er henvendt til offentligheden, mens andre dele er henvendt til forskere.

På samme måde vil de endelige resultater efter projektperioden blive til gængelige på to måder: En offentlig, åben adgang via hjemmesiden kaldet Link-Lives Citizen, og en lukket adgang, kaldet Link-Lives Science, hvor forskere kan få skræddersyede data til konkrete forskningsprojekter ved henvendelse til projektindehaverne.

Et livsforløb
På hjemmesiden findes nu et af de første eksempler på et automatisk, computerskabt livsforløb for en mand, Niels Nielsen, fra Nordjylland.

Eksemplet repræsenterer et kort livsforløb, men det illustrerer ganske godt hvad projektets resultater kan og kommer til at kunne. For med Niels Nielsens livsforløb følger også oplysninger om ægtefælle og børn, og når disse personers livsforløb også identificeres, får man adgang til det vi kunne kalde slægtsforløb, og dermed mulighed for at undersøge forskellige forhold over tid og gennem generationer i samme familie. Læs Link-Lives blogindlæg om metoderne bag linkningen her.

Om projektet
Som også omtalt for et års tid siden i det tidligere blogindlæg om Link-Lives, skal forskningsprojektet rekonstruere livsforløb og familieforbindelser for (næsten) alle som har levet i Danmark fra 1787 og indtil det moderne Civile PersonRegister (CPR) blev oprettet i 1968.

Udgangspunktet for projektets data er de danske folketællinger som for en stor dels vedkommende er indtastede i Dansk Demografisk Database, hvor der skal oprettes links mellem de forskellige folketællinger så man kan følge den samme person gennem hele livet. Derefter kan der tilføjes andre kilder som for eksempel kirkebøger, fødsels- og dødsattester, sessionspapirer og meget andet.

Socio-onomastiske muligheder
Ved projektets afslutning i 2024 vil det være muligt at trække data som kan fortælle hvor, hvornår og hvilke sociale grupper som fx tager nye fornavne til sig, hvordan den samme person får skrevet sit navn i forskellige sammenhænge gennem livet, hvordan nye navnemoder bevæger sig gennem samfundet geografisk, kronologisk og socialt, hvilke familier som først begynder at bruge efternavne, og hvem der følger efter, og for eksempel også om det er de ældste eller de yngste i søskendeflokke som er mest innovative i navngivningen af deres børn.

Der venter store og spænde muligheder for fremtidens navneforskning i Link-Lives-projektet!

The future of the Nordic socio-onomastic network

by Terhi Ainiala, Emilia Aldrin & Birgit Eggert

The NOS-HS workshop-project New Trends in Nordic Socio-onomastics has been completed with really good results, and is now continuing as a network for Nordic scientists working with socio-onomastics.

One of the project results is this website, that will be the center of the network from now on. The network members will regularly publish blog posts with news about research, events and publications with socio-onomastic content. The entries will be written in the Nordic languages or English. The web-blog will be the most dynamic feature on the site, but new information about research ideas and network participants will be added when relevant.

The research project ideas identified through the workshop-project live on in smaller sub-networks. Each of these sub-networks will explore the best ways to bring each idea in to life as concrete research projects, and – possibly – also work with a variation of smaller outcome with different angles on the subjects. The project ideas will be developed over time depending on the concrete resources available.

At the same time, we will try to apply for funding for another NOS-HS workshop series to be able to concretize and sharpen those of the project topics that are best suited for large projects with collaboration between several researchers from different countries. The aim of this will be a concentrated preparation of specific research applications that are strong enough for international competition.

The upcoming Nordic Journal of Socio-Onomastics / Nordisk Tidskrift för socio-onomastik will soon be presented in more detail here on the blog. It will be a significant publishing channel for future socio-onomastic research both in the Nordic region and in a wider international context.

Our network will present its results and future ideas at the next international onomastic congress in Krákow in August 2020 (ICOS 2020). We encourage all interested in socio-onomastics to contact us there.

We look forward to be acquainted with the many new socio-onomastic initiatives that we hope and expect the future will bring.

Helsinki and its Names

– an Evening of Presentations and Discussion

by Ossian Hartig

On the evening of the 28^th of November our group of three onomasticians: Terhi Ainiala, Väinö Syrjälä and I held presentations at Tieteiden talo (The House of Science and Letters) in Helsinki, hosted by Kotikielen seura – The Society for the Study of Finnish. The heading title of the evening was Kaupunkinimien kerrostumia: sosio-onomastisia näkökulmia Helsingin paikannimistöön (Layers in the Namescape of Cities: Socio-onomastic Viewpoints on the Place Names of Helsinki). The event collected an abnormally large crowd of listeners.

Terhi opened up the evening by telling the audience about the corpus’ onomastical approach to the variation of the two slang names for Helsinki: Hesa and Stadi. The corpus was collected from the popular Finnish discussion forum Suomi24.

In his presentation Väinö told about the linguistic landscape of Helsinki from the turn of the last century, especially of multilinguality in commercial names. Väinö used old photos to show, how Russian, Swedish and Finnish were used on for example the storefronts of shops in the city and how the usage of different languages changed when years went by. Väinö also discussed what kinds of difficulties a researcher has to face when researching the linguistic landscape from such a long time ago.

In my presentation I presented my initial findings about his research into the place names of the military island Santahamina, located in South-Eastern Helsinki.

The presentation covered two major themes: the official street names of Santahamina and the slang varieties for the island’s name.

Finnish conscripts taking part in the fighters’ examination, on a break in the forest area next to the road Eteläkärjentie/Söderuddsvägen of Santahamina. The roads literal translation “Southern Tip’s Road” is due to it leading to the southernmost part of the island. The fighter’s examination is mandatory test that must be passed to progress in the training.
FOTO: Ossian Hartig.

Santahamina received its very first official street names and signs in 2011 after more than a decade of using tsar-era (pre 1917) signage that consisted of letter-number-combinations. The official naming was presented with to tracks that contributed to the process reaching its conclusion in 2011. Firstly, the official documents from Finnish Army Archives that laid out the official reasoning for replacing the old naming system. Secondly there were the discussions held with local, long-time residents of the island who for a long time had pushed both the military and the city to recognize the unofficial oral place name tradition the island’s residents had used for decades.

A clipping from an Army document from 2012 showing the old sector and building numbers (Vanha numero) – the letter describes the sector; the number is the building. In the other columns one can see the (new) street name (Kadunnimi), the street number (Katunumero) and the street name in Swedish (Kadunnimi ruotsiksi).

In the second part of my presentation I discussed the variation of the different slang varieties of the name of the island, in particular the two rather similar Santis and Sandis. The latter, formed from the Swedish-language name Sandhamn, is mostly used by more mature language users and professional soldiers. Santis on the other hand is formed from the Finnish name. The surveyed conscripts (mostly 20-year olds) had never heard of the variant Sandis. The older segment was aware of the name Santis, but regarded it as the inferior or outright wrong name for Santahamina.

All the presentations inspired vivid conversation and questions from the crowd.

Namnforskardagarna i Helsingfors 31/10-1/11 2019

Johanna Virkkula & Terhi Ainiala

I månadsskiftet oktober-november ordnades namnforskardagarna vid Helsingfors universitet. Redan för tjugoandra gången samlades namnforskare från hela Finland (denna gång med kära gäster från Estland) för att få en uppdatering i vad som just nu händer inom onomastiken.

I programmet hade vi sjutton vetenskapliga föredrag, med flera doktorander och nyblivna magistrar som presenterade sina ämnen. Ett flertal socioonomastiska föredrag presenterades under dagarna. Speciellt intressant var Emmi Sulanders presentation om inofficiella ortnamn på svenska i Helsingfors (på basis av hennes pro gradu -avhandling, alltså slutarbete för magistersgraden). Terhi Ainialas och Paula Sjöbloms fallstudie om snuskiga ortnamn i marknadsföringen av ett visst turistmål i Finland väckte också livlig diskussion.

Terhi Ainiala & Paula Sjöblom. Foto: *Lasse Hämäläinen*

Som gästtalare hade vi prof. Hartmut Lenk, som talade om hur personnamn används i texter och hur dessa användningssätt är olika då förhållandet till den aktuella personen är olik.

Dessa plock ur programmet får representera våra namnforskardagar. Det bästa med namnforskardagarna är att man en gång om året kan uppdatera sig på vad som är nytt både inom undervisningen av namnforskning och forskning; de flesta år har vi ett deltagarantal över femtio, då även huvudstadsregionens namnplanerare och namn- och språkvårdare från Institutet för de inhemska språken gärna deltar.

Hela programmet för namnforskardagarna 2019 finns här: https://blogs.helsinki.fi/nimipaivat/ohjelma/ – och denna adress blir inför namnforskardagarna 2020 uppdaterad med det aktuella programmet.

Refleksioner omkring metodeworkshop i København

Den sidste workshop i projektet New Trends in Nordic Socio-onomastics blev holdt i København i dagene 2.-4. oktober 2019. Denne gang handlede det om metoder til brug i undersøgelser af historiske navnematerialer.

Efter workshoppens præsentationer, øvelser og diskussioner står det klart at der findes mange muligheder for at afdække socioonomastiske problemstillinger gennem metoder fra tilgrænsende fag.

Arkivernes digitaliseringer af store mængder kildemateriale giver et enormt potentiale til undersøgelser på tværs af tid, geografisk udbredelse og social stilling. Der er en begrænsning i at kunne styre de store datamængder, men med involvering af datakyndige i projekterne, vil det kunne afhjælpes og mange nye indsigter kan opnås.

Nye vinkler på arkæologiens materielle fund til belysning af det ordstof som indgår ældre tiders navne, giver interessante udsigter til ny viden om de ældste navnelag, som ellers er svære at tilgå med en socioonomastisk vinkel.

De nye perspektiver inspirerede til yderligere bearbejdning af de idéer til forskningsprojekter på tværs i Norden som fostredes ved forårets workshop i Halmstad. Det resulterede i gode, velbelyste og grundigt gennemtænkte projektidéer som kan give anledning til en række fremragende forskningsansøgninger på tværs i Norden i de kommende år.

Metodeworkshop i København

Nu nærmer sig tiden for den tredje workshop for netværket New Trends in Nordic Socio-onomastics. Den 2.-4. oktober 2019 samles vi på Københavns Universitet for at inspireres af metoder med relevans for historiske studier som bruges i andre forskningsdiscipliner.

Workshoppens program byder på en blanding af gæsteforelæsninger, gruppediskussioner og praktiske forsøg. Der stiftes bekendtskab med et arkæologisk syn på jernalderens personnavne, oparbejdelsen af store kvantitative data i bl.a. digitaliserede folketællinger samt den historiske sociolingvistiks metoder, og praktiske øvelser med digitaliseret historisk materiale giver indblik i hvilke potentialer der er for socioonomastikken i sådanne materialer.

De nye input diskuteres i grupper og i plenum, og de nye perspektiver bruges til videreudviklingen af projektidéerne fra de to tidligere workshops. Workshoppens kreative dage vil uden tvivl give nye perspektiver på socioonomastikkens muligheder fremover. Læs mere om de tre planlagte workshops her.

ICOS Summer School in Helsinki

Text and photographs: Lasse Hämäläinen

The writer will receive his PhD in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki in September 2019. He worked as the coordinator of ICOS Summer School.

The International Council of Onomastic Sciences organised its first ever Summer School at the University of Helsinki on August 26th–30th 2019. The objective of the course was to bring together young onomastic scholars from all over the world, to increase their knowledge about the international scientific culture and to help them create new research networks. Altogether, there were 21 participants from 15 different countries. Most participants were PhD students, but also a couple of MA students and recently graduated PhDs were within.

The theme of the course was Methods of Onomastics. The course program consisted mainly of lectures concerning the topic, given by the responsible teachers Terhi Ainiala and Paula Sjöblom and also a few visiting lecturers. However, the program also included other activities, for example a full-day text workshop, a Three Minute Thesis workshop, and excursions to the Institute of the Languages in Finland and Helsinki University Almanac Office.

In addition to the scientific program, many students participated in recreational activities after working days. We visited bars, restaurants, and the island of Suomenlinna. Luckily, the weather was great during the whole week, so we could enjoy the beautiful evenings of the late summer outside. I was pleased to notice that the students were willing to participate also these unofficial events, because according to my experience these informal activities and discussions could be an important part of scientific meetings.

As the course coordinator, I would like to thank all the participants and teachers. The week was quite exhaustive but also extremely rewarding and pleasant. It was a great experience to present the city of Helsinki and the diverse onomastic work made in Finland and ICOS. According to our closing discussion, participants were happy and satisfied with the course, too. They hoped that a similar event would be arranged in the near future. Where and when, remains unsolved. That will surely be discussed and hopefully decided in the next ICOS congress, which will be in Krakow in August 2020.

The conference of Personal Names and Cultural Reconstructions

Text: Vilma Lauhakangas & Manu Paavilainen
Photographs: Oona Raatikainen

The writers are students at the Faculty of Arts at the University of Helsinki. They worked as conference assistants at the conference.

The conference of Personal Names and Cultural Reconstructions was held at the University of Helsinki on August 21ー23. The venue of the conference was Metsätalo (“forest house”), an 80-year-old building that once introduced its students to sciences that were far from linguistics. What is interesting about the decor of Metsätalo is that itshows all the species of wood native to Finland. During the first day of the conference, it was palpable that the beautiful wooden architecture had made a nice first impression on the visitors.

A conference regarding personal names seemed to be something that the people in the field had been hoping to have for quite some time. The conference organizers and representatives of the University of Helsinki, Terhi Ainiala and Johanna Virkkula, were happy to welcome the 76 attending researchers from 28 countries. In addition to linguists and onomasticians, scholars from the fields of history, archeology and other disciplines were present. The programme of the conference included three keynote lectures, 50 session papers and nine posters.

As the first keynote speaker, Ellen Bramwell from the University of Glasgow, opened the presentation part of the conference with a socio-onomastical look into personal names and the effect of dominant British and Scottish naming systems within different communities in Scotland. The second keynote, by Mr. Frog from the University of Helsinki, also had a local focus as it explored Finnic names and naming systems, and their connection to mythology and their value in historical reconstruction. The last keynote, by Aleksandar Loma from the University of Belgrade and Serbian Academy of Sciences, considered anthroponomastics and the problems of chronological and social stratification with a look into the use of zoonyms as given names among Indo-European people. The subject of personal names and naming systems was explored in a wide variety of ways spanning from deciphering ancient Etruscan cuneiform to modern trends of the use of syllables in Japanese given names.

The conference dinner was served in the well-known restaurant and culinary college Perho. After the dinner, there was a musical performance by the vocal group Kärhämä. The lyrics and composition were generated by Lotta Jalava, inspired by etymologies proposed by professor Janne Saarikivi.

The following morning it was raining in Helsinki. The conference program of the last day still attracted a lot of people and soon the corridor was full of umbrellas and the sound of laughter. The sun came out eventually and the presentations continued until the afternoon. The conference ended with a closing session by the organizers, Terhi Ainiala, Jaakko Raunamaa, Janne Saarikivi and Johanna Virkkula.