Course teached as: B024243 - LINGUISTICA STORICA Second Cycle Degree in MODERN PHILOLOGY Curriculum LINGUISTICA STORICA, TEORICA, E APPLICATA
Teaching Language
Italian
Course Content
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the study of
key concepts of the Historical Linguistics, with specific reference to the diachronic approach for the analysis of natural languages. Etymology will be the guiding principle for dealing with the diachronic linguistic change.
An excursus will be devoted to the understanding of etymology in the Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory.
1. E. Magni, Linguistica storica, Bologna, Patron, 2014.
2. F. Murano (2013). Il corso di "Étymologie grecque et latine" (1911-1912) di Ferdinand de Saussure negli appunti di Louis Brütsch. Alessandria: Edizioni Dell’Orso, pp. 11-49.
3. On of the following papers:
-- M. Benedetti, (2003), “L'etimologia tra tipologia e storia”, in Il cambiamento linguistico, a cura di M. Mancini, Roma, Carocci, 209-262
-- C. Fabrizio (2016), Edipo 'monopede'? Un'ipotesi etimologica e un motivo solare indoeuropeo, «ΑΙΩΝ » n.s. 5, pp. 67-81
-- C. Vallini (1994), Mondi etimologici, in La semantica in prospettiva sincronica e diacronica (Atti del convegno SIG, Macerata 1992), a cura di M. Negri e D. Poli, Pisa: Giardini, pp. 97-125.
-- C. Vallini (1994), Ades e le etimologie platoniche, in Miscellanea di studi in onore di Walter Belardi, a cura di P. Cipriano, P. Di Giovine, M. Mancini, vol. II, Roma: Il Calamo, pp. 1077-82.
-- C. Vallini (2007), Autorità e prestigio nel discorso etimologico, in Studi in onore di Riccardo Ambrosini, a cura di R. Lazzeroni, G. Marotta, M. Napoli, «Studi e saggi linguistici» voll. XLIII-XLIV (2007), pp. 309-319.
-- C. Vallini (1983), La cerva e il cervo: una questione di corna, «ΑΙΩΝ » 5, pp.1-30
-- C. Vallini (2002) Elefas: storia di un’etimologia, «ΑΙΩΝ» 1 (1979), pp. 123-186
Vallini's papers are available at: http://opar.unior.it/1860/1/Etimologia_e_linguistica_nove_studi_ISBN.pdf
Learning Objectives
During the course, students are introduced to the study of advanced concepts of historical linguistics.
Discipline-specific skills :
- Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of terms and concepts of historical linguistics, with particular reference to linguistic change and etymology
- Demonstrate the knowledge of basic linguistic terminology
- Demonstrate good knowledge of linguistic methods and diachronic analysis, including specially phonetic, morphological and semantic change
- Demonstrate good knowledge of the linguistic analysis of texts
- Demonstrate a good understanding and a detailed knowledge of variation and language change
- Use of real-life examples to illustrate a point
Personal skills:
- develop analytical skills and use them to solve problems
The module will raise awareness on a:
- conscious use of the academic environment, of the CdS, of the assistance facilities provided to exploit the academic features and to manage student careers
- intellectual participation and effective student-teacher collaboration
- conscious use of the learning resources provided by both CdS and Scuola
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of general linguistics
Teaching Methods
Lectures and seminars; handouts and basic readings during seminars; use of electronic resources (via the Moodle learning platform)
Further information
The course involves compulsory attendance for 2/3 of the lessons for full-time students. Lesson attendance for part-time students (part-time enrolment)
is not mandatory. Part-time students have to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course.
Students of D.M. 509 must agree upon the program with the teachers at the beginning of the course.
Type of Assessment
Oral examination in order to asses theoretical knowledge acquired during the course.
Topics:
- methodological introduction
- concepts and basic terms of Historical Linguistics
- theory, methods and analysis models of Linguistics
- analysis of diachronic linguistic change
This examination will also assess students’ ability to apply their knowledge to concrete cases of linguistic analysis, the relevance and coherence of the students' answers, their communication skills, their capacity for making judgements, their ability to express opinions on a topic in a structured way, their language accuracy and their style.
Students must demonstrate an adequate level of preparation in all the required topics in order to pass the examination.
The final mark will be based on the assessments given for all the questions.
Course program
The aim of the course is to introduce students to the study of
key concepts of the Historical Linguistics, with specific reference to the diachronic approach for the analysis of natural languages. Etymology will be the guiding principle for dealing with the diachronic linguistic change.
An excursus will be devoted to the understanding of etymology in the Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory.
The course will introduce the following issues and concepts:
- principles and methods of Historical Linguistics
- language change in a diachronic perspective
- etymology and motivation
- Language change in a diachronic perspective. Diachronic studies of classical languages
- origin and development of Ferdinand de Saussure's theoretical reflections on languages and language (with specific reference to the etymology)