Jan Heegård Petersen

Jan Heegård Petersen serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Nordic Studies and Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen. His research focuses on Danish language evolution in diaspora communities, phonetic reduction phenomena, and documentation of the endangered Kalasha language of Pakistan.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD in Linguistics (2006), University of Copenhagen
• MA in General Linguistics (1998), University of Copenhagen
• BA in General Linguistics (1993), University of Copenhagen

Petersen's scholarly work spans heritage language dynamics, examining phonetic, morphological, and syntactic changes in Danish spoken by immigrant communities across the Americas. His investigations into phonetic reduction explore the spectrum between maximally expanded and extremely compressed speech forms, linking sound reduction to grammatical and pragmatic functions. The Kalasha language documentation project represents decades of fieldwork on this Indo-Aryan language's phonology, grammar, and cultural context.

Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal concentrated research on heritage Danish varieties, with significant attention to grammatical gender systems, code-switching patterns, and phonetic innovations among diaspora speakers. These studies frequently employ corpus-based statistical methods and reflect international collaboration, particularly with Karoline Kühl of Hamburg.

As an educator, Petersen supervises BA/MA projects across Danish linguistics domains. His research has received funding from the Carlsberg Foundation, A.P. Møller Foundation, and University of Copenhagen. Professional service includes editorial roles for NyS journal and treasurer position for the Linguistic Circle of Copenhagen.