31318 - Persian Linguistics and Language 3

Learning outcomes

 

The course is intended to provide a broad however not strictly elementary outline to the Persian Language, as well to literature of Islamic Iran (i.e. from IX century onward). Special attention will be paid to offer an up to date Bibliography as a support to the teaching.  

Course contents

 

The aim of the course is to focus on the so called "post classical" period of Persian literature, i.e. the centuries from XVI to XVIII. The Safavid and Mogul epoch of Persian literature is still to some extent problematic: Progress or decay? Generally considered as an era of literary imitation or of baroque"experiments" this period has olso seen the appearance of "new" literary languages both Iranian (Pashtu, Kurdish) and Turkic. Moreover some attention will be addressed to ethnic minorities living in Iran (namely Armenian and Georgian). Their contribution to Persian culture is an often remarkable factor.

Readings/Bibliography

The following texts could prove useful. Most of them are to be found in the Library of the Department or in Bologna Libraries. The teacher will be happy to help students with the support of books, articles or any material which might be useful for further research (in italian or other languages).

Language: A. PIEMONTESE, Grammatica Persiana in nuce, Roma-Pisa, 2004;

Dictionary: A. COLETTI, H. COLETTI GRUNBAUM, Dizionario Persiano-Italiano, Roma,Centro Culturale Italo-Iraniano, 1978. A second edition appeared in Rome, 2006. Further reprints in in Iran.
M. PISTOSO, M. C. PUDIOLI (eds.), Dizionario Persiano-Italiano, Roma-Bologna, 2013: a first volume (pp. 731) covers the Persian letters from alef to dal. A CD-ROM edition is available as well.

Literature:
G. SCARCIA, Letteratura Persiana, in Storia delle Letterature d'Oriente, diretta da Oscar Botto, Milano, Vallardi, 1969, Vol. II, special reference should be made to pp. 247-257 and 349-450. The same author has written  - as a chapter of the same volume -Letterature Turche, ("Turkic Literatures"): as a very original outline of the culture of the Turkic cultures of central Asia so deeply linked with Persian literary history the contribution is suggested as an important text.

A.M. PIEMONTESE, Storia della letteratura Persiana, Milano Fratelli Fabbri Editori, 1970. Special reference should be made to volume II°, (i.e. "post classical" period).

Ehsan YARSHATER, Safavid Literature. Progress or decline?, in "Iranian Studeies", 7, issue 1-2, 1974, pp. 217-270. An important contribution to a better definition of Persian literature in the co called post classical period.  

The recent volume Iranian Languages and Literatures of Central Asia from the eighteenth century to the present, M. DE CHIARA e E. GRASSI (eds.), Paris, Association pour l'avancement des Etudes Iraniennes, 2015, somewhat outcomes the historical period of the course. It is mentioned here, however,  for the outstanding level of its contents.   

The following texts are intended as a possible choice for further lectures. A grammatical examination of the contents to be held with the help of the teacher is warmly recommended:

MIr 'Ali Shir Nava'i, Muhakamat al-lughatayn ("The Confrontation of the two languages"), text and English translation R. DEVEREUX, Leiden, Brill, 1965; Zeyn al-Din Mahmud Vasifi, Badaye al-vaqaye ("The wandering episodes of my times"), II edition edited by A.N. BOLDYREV, Teheran, Bongah-e terjome va nashr-e Ketab, 1966, in two volumes.

 

Teaching methods

 

Language of teaching is Italian with possibly references to other languages (namely Persian). The course is intended as a sequence of lessons during which the teacher (as a sort of temporary"anchorman") will do his best to communicate as well as to take advantage of any sort of question that will eventually arise from his auditory in the field.

A short course of modern Persian language (written and spoken) to be held by a mother language teacher with special qualification is also scheduled. 

As a form of support to the "official" teaching other events (one man shows as well as conferences, book presentations and so on) are as a rule organized by the chair of Persian: they are more or less linked with the contents of this course. For further information one is suggested to take a look at the teacher's website as well to stay in contact with the tutors of the students (i.e. Dr. Lopatriello and Dr. D'Onofrio, the last in charge of "corso di studio magistrale").    

Assessment methods

 

  

The examination is intended as a simply oral colloquium during which the student is invited to discuss with the teacher the main contents of the course.

The elaboration of a short text (not a proper "research" paper) is by no way compulsory, however warmly encouraged. It may cover any of the themes that have been mentioned during the course. In this case a sort of preliminary arrangement about its content has to be made in advance with the teacher. 

Teaching tools

 

Use of computer facilities as well as of more archaic forms of representations of items (old or even "historical" slides...) may occasionally occur.  

Office hours

See the website of Maurizio Silvio Pistoso