Teaching code

4S02273

Teacher

Paola Cotticelli

Coordinator

Paola Cotticelli

Credits

6

Language

Italian

Scientific Disciplinary Sector (SSD)

L-LIN/01 - HISTORICAL AND GENERAL LINGUISTICS

Period

Sem 2A dal Feb 17, 2020 al Mar 28, 2020.

Lessons timetable Moodle Seminars 0

Learning outcomes

The course of Comparative Grammar of Classical Languages gives an introduction in the comparative study of the Ancient Indo-European languages, based on the reconstructive method, in order to describe selected grammatical categories of the Protolanguage (Proto-Indo-European). The structural aspects of the development and change of some grammatical categories, described in a diachronic perspective, especially of those belonging to the nominal and verbal morphology, are particularly referring to Old Greek and Latin, Sanskrit and the German languages. The phenomena will be presented through the reading and discussion of selected texts in order to show their reconstruction for the protolanguage and of some pragmatic or syntactic features in the texts. The texts will be chosen among the oldest documents of some Indo-European languages such as Mycenaean Greek, Old Latin, Vedic, Gothic, Hittite and Lithuanian.

Expected results
Adequate knowledge of the history and methods of the traditional studies in Comparative Indo-European linguistics.- Adequate knowledge of the morphological inventory for nominal and verbal derivation - The ability to understand and apply the comparative method on the base of the attested languages. – The ability to recognize forms and morphemes, phrases and categories in the Ancient languages and to compare them. The skill to use the right concepts and a correct scientific terminology when discussing issues of (proto-)language reconstruction, language change, language comparison.

PREREQUISITES
The basic knowledge provided by the course of Introduction in the study of the Indo-European languages.

Program

The course of Comparative Grammar of the Indo-European Languages describes the history and the comparison of the grammatical categories of the ancient Indo-European languages in the perspective of their reconstruction for the protolanguage. The description of some grammatical categories will be done through reading and discussing some passages of selected IE languages such as Mycenaean Greek, Old Latin, Vedic, Gothic, Hittite and Lithuanian.
In particular some texts of rituals, hymns, laws, spells will be presented.
The texts will be provided by the teacher during the course.

Beekes, Robert S.P., 1995, Beekes, Comparative Indo-European linguistics: an introduction, Amsterdam
Clackson, James, 2007, Indo-European Linguistics. An Introduction, Cambridge.
Fortson, Benjamin W., 2004, Indo-European language and culture. An introduction, Malden, MA

Lehmann, W.P., 1999, La linguistica indoeuropea, (trad. italiana) Mulino, Bologna

Examination Methods

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and in accordance with the University of Verona guidelines, during ​the 2020 summer session the assessment modality will be modified as follows: online oral exam.

Oral exam and presentation of a paper during the class.

At the end of the course the student will acquire an adequate knowledge of the history and methods of the traditional studies in Comparative Indo-European linguistics, in particular:
- Adequate knowledge of the morphological inventory for nominal and verbal derivation
- The ability to understand and apply the comparative method on the base of the attested languages. – The ability to recognize forms and morphemes, phrases and categories in the Ancient languages and to compare them.
-The skill to use the right concepts and a correct scientific terminology when discussing issues of the reconstruction of the (proto-)language, language change, language comparison.
- to translate and linguistically comment the texts analyzed together.