- Department: Language and Linguistic Science
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
- See module specification for other years: 2024-25
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Autumn Term 2022-23 |
This module will introduce some key concepts of classical and formal historical linguistics. It will address long-standing questions about the transmission of languages through time, and students will learn about and apply old and new techniques to probe into the past of our species, building on their existing skills in language and linguistics.
By the end of the module, students will have gained basic understanding of:
Special exemplification of the classical comparative method will be provided on proto-Indo-European morpho-phonology during the seminar sessions, and the students will eventually be able to reapply the procedures to other linguistic domains, possibly including aspects of their native languages.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
None
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
Within standard University policy.
Clackson, J. (2010). Indo-European Linguistics, ch. 1-2. OUP.
Diamond, J. (2005). Guns, Germs and Steel. Epilogue.
Longobardi, G. (2003). Methods in parametric linguistics and cognitive history. Linguistic Variation Yearbook.
Lindeman, F. (1988). Introduction to Laryngeal Theory, pp.19-35.
Popper, K. (1959). The Logic of Scientific Discovery, short excerpts.
Trask, R.L. (1996). Historical Linguistics, ch. 12-13. Routledge.
Suggestions for reading before the module starts
Pedersen, Holger. (1959) The discovery of language: Linguistic science in the nineteenth century. Translated by John Webster Spargo. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Cavalli Sforza, Luca, and Francesco Cavalli Sforza. (1995) The great human diasporas: The history of diversity and evolution. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Pedersen (1959) and the first six chapters of Cavalli Sforza & Cavalli Sforza (1995) are enjoyable preliminary readings for students who have not yet attended any course in historical linguistics or comparative anthropology, respectively.