C8739 - LINGUISTICA STORICA E COMPARATIVA (LM)

Learning outcomes

The student has an in-depth knowledge of the mechanisms of diachronic change (at the phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic levels), of the methods of linguistic comparison and reconstruction, as well as of the main and most up-to-date methodologies and theories concerning the diachronic evolution of linguistic forms and structures. Furthermore, they are able to apply appropriate analytical tools to solve specific problems (such as evaluating etymologies, identifying interference dynamics, analysing corpus data, and conducting typological comparisons) and to reflect independently on the historical dimension and variation of languages.

Course contents

This course provides an introduction to historical-comparative linguistics for students with no previous background in the field, while also offering more advanced perspectives for those with prior knowledge in related disciplines. It traces the emergence of Indo-European comparative linguistics within the historical context of linguistic and cultural encounters between East and West. The course introduces the main theories and methods of historical linguistics, supported by practical exercises. The advanced section focuses on language contact and borrowing, with particular attention to colonial contexts and contemporary perspectives on decolonization.

Readings/Bibliography

General part: it is possible to choose between the following manuals:

Fanciullo, Franco (2022). Introduzione alla linguistica storica. 4. ed. Bologna: il Mulino.

Napoli, Maria (2019). Linguistica diacronica: la prospettiva tipologica. Roma: Carocci.

Students with no prior background in historical-comparative linguistics are advised to consult:

Shukla, Shaligram & Connor-Linton, Jeff. 2006. Language Change. In Ralph W. Fasold & Jeff Connor-Linton (eds.), An Introduction to Language and Linguistics, 275–309. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Advanced section:

Haspelmath, Martin & Tadmor, Uri (eds.). 2009. Loanwords in the World's Languages: A Comparative Handbook. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. Required reading: Chapter 2 and one chapter selected from Part II. The selected chapter may serve as the basis for the oral presentation.

Teaching methods

The course is primarily based on traditional lectures supported by slide presentations.

Students will also be required to give a short presentation (15–20 minutes) aimed at illustrating a case of language contact.

Preparing a Pygmalion map illustrating the history of a loanword is optional and, if submitted, will be taken into account in the final assessment.

Assessment methods

The assessment of the knowledge and skills acquired by the student will take place through an oral exam consisting of an interview aimed at evaluating their understanding of the topics covered during the course, as well as their ability to analyse, reflect, and compare materials and examples. The oral presentation in class will be taken into account in the overall evaluation. Students who do not attend the course will be required to give their presentation during the oral examination.

An excellent grade requires in-depth knowledge, terminological mastery, and the ability to analyse and make connections. Accurate knowledge but with some uncertainties leads to a fair evaluation, while learning that is mainly based on memorisation with analytical difficulties corresponds to a pass. Serious gaps and inadequate language will result in a fail.

Teaching tools

Computer, videoproiettore, materiali su internet, tra i quali Pygmalion: https://woposs.unine.ch/pygmalion.html.

 

Students with SLDs or temporary or permanent disabilities:

we suggest that you contact the relevant university office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and your teacher immediately to work together to find the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for exams.

 

Any requests for exam accommodations must be made at least 15 days before the date of the exam, by sending an email to the teacher and copying (Cc) the email address disabilita@unibo.it (in case of disability) or dsa@unibo.it (for students with Specific Learning Difficulties).

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Dell'Oro