GLOTTOLOGY A

Course objectives

The course in Historical linguistics for MA aims at elaborating at a deeper level the linguistic knowledge already acquired by the students during their BA course. Particularly,the general skills in theoretical linguistics will be applied to specific natural languages, with a particular regard towards extra-European languages. This course deals with the phenomenon of linguistics contact, discussing the main effects it may produce with respect to linguistic change, not only at lexical level, but, most importantly, at more structured levels as morphology, syntax and phonology. As for the consequences of the linguistic contact, the relationship between universal drifts and specific historical and sociological biases will be carefully examined.

Channel 1
CLAUDIA ANGELA CIANCAGLINI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course aims to provide a basic theoretical frame as regards the main phenomena of language contact, that is the first external cause of change. We will analyze different historical situations of bilingualism and diglossia, sociolinguistic variability and multiple competence, which will be compared with the theories about linguistic contact provided by Weinreich (1953) and Thomason and Kaufman (1988). We will focus especially on the concepts of interference, linguistic area, borrowing, substratum interference, pidginization/creolization. A case study will be the linguistic contact between Latin and Greek.
Prerequisites
The student must have already acquired, during the three-year degree, the basic knowledge of general and historical linguistics.
Books
1) U. Weinreich, Languages in Contact, New York 1953, trad. it. a cura di G.R. Cardona, Lingue in contatto, Torino, Boringhieri, 1974 2) S.G. Thomason - T. Kaufman, Language Contact, Creolization, and Genetic Linguistics, Berkeley-Los Angeles-Oxford, 1988, pp. 1-213 3) R. Gusmani, Interlinguistica, in R. Lazzeroni (cur.), Linguistica storica, Roma, Carocci, 1987, pp. 87–114 4) Claudia A. Ciancaglini – Artemij Keidan, Linguistica generale e storica. Per studenti di lingue orientali e classiche, Milano, Mondadori Università, 2018 (first volume: chapters 1, 2; cap. 4, excluding §§ 4.3, 4.4; chapt. 5, excluding §§ 5.6, 5.7, 5.8; chapt. 6, excluding§§ 6.2.6, 6.3.4; 6.4.3; second volume: chapters 7, 8, 10, excluding §§ 10.3 e 10.4; chapter 11) 5) Claudia A. Ciancaglini - Sara Kaczko, Greco e latino, lingue dell'ellenismo, in Storia d'Europa e del Mediterraneo, vol. V La res publica e il Mediterraneo, a cura di G. Traina, Roma, Salerno Editrice, 2008, pp. 655-696 6) Claudia A. Ciancaglini - Sara Kaczko, Scritture, simboli e lingue, in Storia d'Europa e del Mediterraneo, vol. VI Da Augusto a Diocleziano, a cura di G. Traina, Roma, Salerno Editrice, 2009, pp. 745–782
Exam mode
The exam is oral. It consists in answering questions that deal with all the main topics covered during the course
Lesson mode
The course will take place in the traditional way, with lessons in the classroom
  • Lesson code10589243
  • Academic year2024/2025
  • CoursePhilology, literatures and history of the ancient world
  • CurriculumFilologico e letterario
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDL-LIN/01
  • CFU6
  • Subject areaAttività formative affini o integrative