Latvian Language Institute of the University of Latvia (UL LLI) has been established as the over-taker of the research tradition of Archives of Latvian language founded in 1935, and reorganized into a structural unit “Latvian Language Institute of the University of Latvia” by the Decision of the Senate of the University of Latvia (UL) N° 234 of 26th October, 2015. UL LLI carries out researches in different fields of Latvian linguistics – dialectology and areal linguistics, onomastics, language history, grammar, phonetics and phonology, lexicology and lexicography, sociolinguistics, terminology, language culture. UL Latvian Language Institute is unique worldwide combining in-depths disciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to the research of Latvian language, and producing both traditional and contemporary language resources.

UL LLI’s mission towards Latvian language material is to identify and write down, to characterize scientifically and to theorize it in all its forms and uses.

UL LLI’s scientific staff uninterruptedly collects Latvian language material and carries out long-term in-depths fundamental researches on Latvian language as a system (phonetics, morphology, syntax, lexis and stylistics) and on Latvian language in linguistic environment (onomastics, dialectology, ethno-linguistics, terminology and sociolinguistics), taking into account the multiple backgrounds of language contacts in different time periods, especially, language policy and governance in Latvia, and highlighting Latvian language as a cultural value as well as its nationwide importance as means of communication.

UL LLI’s collected language materials, research results and language resources are turned public by popularizing it in different ways and cooperating in multiple forms both in public and private sector, enterprises (educational and scientific institutions, publishing houses), in public events and popular science publications.

UL LLI publishes on regular basis two scientific journals, namely, Linguistica Lettica and Onomastica Lettica, organizes international scientific conferences, for instance, the International Scientific Conference to commemorate the anniversary of academician Jānis Endzelīns, the International Scientific Conference “Onomastic investigations”, the scientific seminar “Early Written Latvian and Written Texts in Latvia between 16th and 19th Century: Research topicalities and problems”, etc.