Bakhtini

Bakhtini is a surname of Slavic origin and is often encountered as a transliteration variant of the name Bakhtin. In many contexts it is linked to Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin (1895–1975), a Russian philosopher and literary theorist whose work has had a lasting impact on literary studies, linguistics, and cultural theory.

Bakhtin is best known for developing concepts such as dialogism, polyphony, and the carnivalesque, as well as the notion of the chronotope, which situates events in space and time within narrative. His ideas have influenced analyses of how voices interact within texts, how social language shapes meaning, and how literature reflects and challenges power structures.

The form Bakhtini may appear in non-English texts as a plural or adjectival construction related to Bakhtin, but in English-language scholarship the standard reference remains Bakhtin. Within academic discourse, scholars who align with Bakhtin’s approach are typically described as Bakhtinists, dialogists, or Bakhtin-inspired thinkers, rather than as Bakhtini.

Because transliteration differences can affect how names appear in bibliographies and databases, some sources may list works related to Bakhtin under Bakhtini, occasionally causing brief confusion. For most readers seeking information on Bakhtin’s theories, consulting the core concepts—dialogism, polyphony, the carnivalesque, and the chronotope—along with primary and secondary works by Mikhail Bakhtin provides the most reliable entry point. See also: Mikhail Bakhtin; Dialogism; Polyphony; Carnivalesque; Chronotope.