ICHLL15International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology
ICHLL15International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology
On behalf of the International Society for Historical Lexicology and Lexicography, the Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Universidade de Lisboa are pleased to host the 15th International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology.
ICHLL15 — International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology closes with
highly positive results in Lisbon
highly positive results in Lisbon
From 24 to 27 June 2025, Lisbon hosted the 15th edition of the International Conference on Historical Lexicography and Lexicology (ICHLL15), under the theme “Selected Pages from Selected Dictionaries.” Organized by the Lisbon Academy of Sciences, the Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon, and NOVA University Lisbon, the conference brought together around 150 researchers from 33 countries to share studies, analytical methodologies, and reflections on historical dictionaries.
The event opened with a tribute to the Portuguese lexicographic tradition through the keynote lecture by Ana Salgado, who traced the trajectory of the dictionaries of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences. This was followed by four intensive days of presentations, parallel sessions, roundtables, poster exhibitions, and visits to the Academy, in an atmosphere of scientific dialogue and international exchange.
Among the most memorable moments were the plenary lectures by Simeon Tsolakidis (Academy of Athens), who reflected on the historical dictionaries of Modern Greek and the importance of lexical chronology; Philip Durkin (Oxford English Dictionary), who explored the paths of word histories through dictionaries; and Marco Passarotti (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore), who presented the LiLa Knowledge Base project and demonstrated how historical lexical data can be interlinked in open and interoperable digital environments.
Thematic diversity was a hallmark of the event: from Portuguese phonetics to musical lexicography, from 19th-century bilingual dictionaries to medical terminology, including projects dedicated to lexematic revitalization, classical languages, digital heritage, and open data modelling. The ARIANE/MÉTALEX symposium also offered an in-depth overview of the challenges and methodologies of European digital dictionaries.
The conference concluded with a closing session led by the organizers Alina Villalva, Ana Salgado, Esperança Cardeira, and Rute Costa, who thanked all participants and emphasized the vital role of international and interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing historical lexicography.
ICHLL15 left a clear message: the history of words continues to inspire curiosity and scholarship — and can now be written in a digital and open format.
Organisation
The Conference Organizers for ICHLL 2025 are Alina Vilalva, Ana Salgado, Esperança Cardeira and Rute Costa. They belong to three different Portuguese institutions.
Keynote Speakers

MARCO PASSAROTTI

in the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon
We warmly invite all ICHLL15 participants to a special musical evening! On June 26th at 6:00 p.m., in the Salão Nobre of the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon, students from the Master’s Programme in Music from the Lisbon School of Music (Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon) will present a concert featuring works by a range of composers in a late afternoon dedicated to the sharing of musical art.
Through a variety of ensembles, this tribute to music aims to celebrate some of the finest creations from different periods of music history, offering a harmonious blend of music, science, history, and heritage.
This event is open to all who wish to take part in this unique moment of cultural symbiosis. We look forward to seeing you there!
Location
Call for papers
Submissions are invited for presentations on the ICHLL15 conference theme of Selected pages from selected dictionaries. Submissions on any topic related to historical lexicology and lexicography are also welcome, as are proposals for thematic workshops. Presentations may cover any ongoing research, including works in progress, with all methodologies and perspectives encouraged.

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International Society for Historical Lexicography and Lexicology
The International Society for Historical Lexicography and Lexicology (ISHLL) is an academic organization dedicated to the study and promotion of historical lexicography and lexicology. The ISHLL serves as a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue and scholarly interaction. It aims to advance the understanding of lexical change, semantic evolution and the compilation and analysis of historical dictionaries.