Teaching code

4S01236

Teacher

Paola Cotticelli

Coordinatore

Paola Cotticelli

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

L-LIN/01 - HISTORICAL AND GENERAL LINGUISTICS

Period

2 A, 2 B

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars

Learning objectives

The Historical Linguistics is dealing with a diachronic perspective of the study of the human language, i.e. with the language change through the time. This course consists in an introduction to the study of the Ancient Indo-European languages, their cultures, the history of their discovery, and the methodological approaches, the language change discussed on the different levels of analysis. The comparative method to reconstruct the mother tongue of this family, further the comparison and reconstruction of the phonological and morphological structure of the different Indo-European languages together with the illustration of the most important phonetic and laws, furthermore, of the of the word formation and derivation, finally a brief introduction to the Indo-European culture and realia are the main topics of the course.

Prerequisites and basic notions

Basic notions of historical / diachronical linguistics (exam Introduction to Linguistics)

Program

0. Introductio
1. History of Indo-European linguistics
2. Method of language comparison and reconstruction
3. Basic notions of Indo-European culture
4. Historical Phonology of the IE languageas
5. Phonetic laws
6. Nominal Morphology (noun, adjective)

Didactic methods

Classroom lectures, classroom and online exercises

Learning assessment procedures

The exam consists of an oral exam in which the in-depth study of the etymology of a word chosen from the ancient or modern Indo-European languages is required. The questions require the student to describe a linguistic phenomenon, or theories and models explained during the lessons and learned during the exam preparation (practucals). The report on etymology makes it possible to apply the knowledge acquired on linguistic change relating to the levels explained during the lessons (phonology, Indo-European culture, morphology, semantics). During the exercises, models of reports on etymologies are presented and reconstructions of Indo-European forms are practiced. Study TEXTS: see the moodle page for details.

Evaluation criteria

The objective of the exam consists in verifying the level of achievement of the previously indicated educational objectives. The exam mainly verifies the skills, that is the ability to apply and recognize, in a controlled environment, the knowledge acquired. The responses also consider the property of language and the ability to communicate. In addition, notions, skills, reasoning and linking skills, conciseness, relevance and completeness of the answers are assessed.