Professor Petya Assenova Turns 60

            The name of  Prof. Dr. Hab. Petya Assenova has become permanently associated with the development and recognition of Balkan Studies in Bulgaria. Prof. Assenova’s ample academic output (two books and numerous papers, essays, reviews and synopses) ranks her amongst the most distinguished Balkan Studies scholars worldwide. A disciple of Prof. Vladimir Georgiev under whose supervision she defended a Ph.D. dissertation on Similarities in the usage of the most typical grammatised prepositions in Balkan languages in 1970, Prof. Assenova’s contribution to the development of Balkan linguistics has been outstanding. Her pursuits, however, spread to other fields as well: these include general linguistics in the context of the theory of language contacts and bilingualism, onomastics, comparative linguistics, ethno linguistics, the Bulgarian language,  and text linguistics.

            Prof. Assenova has made a significant contribution to studying the morphosyntax of languages within the Balkan Language Union (BLU). She has brought out the complexity and multifariousness of a number of topics such as grammatised prepositions, complex conjunctions, similar possessive structures, the syntactic functions of absolute relatives and the definite article, expressing modality in BLU. The academic precision and well supported argumentation of her works have been highly appreciated and used in the investigations of Bulgarian and foreign Balkan Studies experts: T.V. Tsivyan, T.V. Maloshnaya, C. Poghirc, A. Mincheva. Despite dedicating most of her publications to the morphosyntax of BLU languages, Prof. Assenova has not neglected issues related to Balkan lexis of substrata origin where she has formulated and supported three major principles of etymology formation. Prof. Assenova’s publications on theoretical areas have raised legitimate interest amongst Balkan linguists. Of special significance are her conclusions on the central place of the Bulgarian language within the group of Balkan languages, the definition of Bulgarian as a language system built up by the BLU relevant features as well as her observations on the varying similarities between Balkan languages. These publications, together with the papers of the Russian scholar T.V. Tsivyan, were defined by G. Dretas as “exemplary works" in the field of “meticulous description of a Balkan language and comparison within the Balkan context”. By analyzing the linguistic content of balkanisms, Prof. Assenova refuted the arguments against using this necessary working term. Her contribution to defining the hierarchy of Balkanisms in the BLU system has been considerable. Her well-supported analysis presents BLU as a super-system within which mutually dependent balkanisms are structured. The morphological balkanisms are identified as the system nucleus because they are revealing of the existence of a language union. The place in the hierarchy depends on the level of closeness to other balkanisms at the morphological level. According to Prof. Assenova, within the balkanisms hierarchy, isosemic phenomena are equivalent to morphological ones since they are due to continuous bilingualism and communicate clearly the link between language and ethnic culture. Prof. Assenova’s arguments on the issue of language type and language convergence illustrated by examples from all Balkan languages are well founded and penetrating. One may quote the persuasive thesis that BLU contains three general types inherited from a common source and developed as a result from independent trends and convergences that are most typical of a language union. 

Linguists specializing in Balkan languages have rated highly Prof. Assenova’s study of the historical development of Balkan linguistics published in Linquistique Balkanique in 1979 where all debatable theoretical issues of Balkan linguistics are examined critically and independent conclusions are formulated. This historical review has not only been quoted by many other authors but has also served as the foundation of all Balkan Studies generalising works published in its wake (see the books of G. R. Solta, E. Banfi, J. Feuillet).

            Prof. Assenova’s many years of in-depth research of a wide range of Balkan linguistics issues are presented in her book Balkan linguistics. Main Issues of the Balkan Language Union (Sofia, 1989). This exceptional study which impresses with the scope of analysed problems and the precision of its conclusions was highly acclaimed by distinguished academics in the country and abroad. It was termed to be “a phenomenon in Bulgarian linguistics” (M. Mladenov), “a most complete synthesis of Sandfeld and a brilliant completion of what P. Assenova called the third era of Balkan linguistics"”(J. Feuillet). This book discusses balkanisms at all language levels, the analysis being based on material from all Balkan languages. The author proves convincingly that the development towards integration of these languages that resulted in the emergence of BLU took place via one-way innovations and the preservation of inherited properties. This indisputable contribution to Balkan linguistics was defended as Dr. Hab. dissertation in 1991.

            Prof. Assenova’s knowledge and range of interests are reflected in her investigations of the bilingualisms of Wallachian and Karakachan people in Bulgaria. On the basis of her personal observations, Prof. Assenova outlines the major characteristics of speech typical of these ethnic groups and the influence of the Bulgarian language which is actively used by them. Prof. Assenova pays special attention to the bilingualism of Greeks in Bulgaria analyzed in the context of recent theories of code-mixing and code-switching. Also of interest are Prof. Assenova’s observations on Bulgarian-Albanian bilingualism in connection with her study of secret mason speech.

            Onomastics has been another area of research for Prof. Assenova since the very early years of her academic career. Her papers focus mainly on Balkan place names and anthroponymics. On the basis of 300 place names and 5000 anthroponymics from north-western Peloponnesus (from 15^th century Turkish archives), important conclusions have been drawn with regard to the ethnic origin of the population and its migration, the link between place names and patronymics as well as the structure and semantics of family names in these parts of the Balkan peninsula.

            Many of Prof. Assenova’s publications discuss the morphosyntax of Bulgarian. Of  these, the most significant one is the section on prepositions included in Grammar of the Bulgarian Language of the Bulgarian Academy.

            Some of Prof. Assenova’s comparative studies go beyond the BLU. Certain morph syntactic peculiarities of Bulgarian and other Balkan languages are analyzed in comparison with Romance languages.

            Prof. Assenova is not indifferent to the actively developing Balkan ethno linguistics either. One is impressed by the innovation and significance of her publications discussing the belief system of Balkan people concerning the link between man and Universe interpreted by universal semiotic oppositions.

            Always abreast of the most innovative trends of modern linguistics, Prof. Assenova has directed her attention to an understudied field: Balkan text linguistics.

            Prof. Assenova’s remarkable academic output and her memorable presence at a number of academic forums in the country and abroad place her at the forefront of Balkan Studies. And if there is an expression that identifies her personality closer than any other it is “a scholar with vision”.

            In addition to being a world-renowned scholar, Prof. Assenova is an excellent lecturer. Her whole working career, in fact, is linked to the University of Sofia where, in 1965, she first started as a Ph.D. student at the Department of General Linguistics of the Faculty of Slavonic Languages. Prof. Assenova ascended all steps of the hierarchy and since 1994 she has worked as a full professor in General and Comparative Linguistics. Prof. Assenova lectures in Introduction to Linguistics, and in General and Balkan Linguistics; she teaches a specialization course in the Theory of Language Contacts. Prof. Assenova has been guest lecturer in a number of foreign universities in Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Japan, Romania and Albania. Fruit of her efforts was the agreement for mutual cooperation between the Sofia University and the Tirana University and it has been vitalized during the last years only due to her commitment.

            Petya Assenova is one of the initiators and founders of the Balkan Studies profile within the Faculty of Slavonic Languages. Many students from this profile have developed their M.A. theses under Prof. Assenova’s supervision and wholehearted support. She is also a supervisor of Ph.D. students in Balkan linguistics and is known as a supportive, kind-hearted and open-minded colleague.

            Prof. Assenova, in the prime of her creative potential, has many novel and ingenious ideas. Let us wish her good health and the energy to put them to practice.

Vassilka Aleksova, Russana Beyleri

Published in “Balkan Linguistics”