GLOTTOLOGY MASTER COURSE

Course objectives

In consistency with the educational purposes of the whole teaching course, aim of the teaching unit is to give students knowledge and comprehension skills in the field of Glottology, that complete and/or reinforce those acquired in the first grade of studies. Moreover, it will make the students able to approach orginal themes in a research context, making more complex judgments, communicating knowledge and its process, and studying the subject in an independent and self-educational way. In particular, the course aims at providing students with a diachronic methodology in order to have a critical mind in analyzing bibliography concerning issues and problems of historical linguistics, with special reference to ancient Indo-European languages.

Channel 1
FLAVIA POMPEO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course focuses on the morphosyntax of Indo-European cases. As a necessary introduction, the first part of the course will illustrate the main linguistic theories on the notion of case and case systems. After an introduction to Old Persian, the second part of the course will focus on theories relating to the reconstruction of the Indo-European case system and the functions of Indo-European cases. Then, it will move on to case syncretism and the dynamics involving cases in argument alternations. The last part of the course will present case studies related to Ancient Greek and Old Persian.
Prerequisites
Students are expected to have either completed the 'General Linguistics' course (basic level) or possess the equivalent knowledge.
Books
For both attending and non attending students (a + b): a) essays available on Classroom; b) recommended reading (not required): Benvenuto, M. C. and Pompeo, F. (2022), La lingua degli antichi Persiani (The Language of the Ancient Persians), Hoepli.
Frequency
Regular class attendance is strongly recommended.
Exam mode
Students can choose between two assessment methods: a) a written test (around 30 minutes) consisting of 32 multiple-choice questions at the end of the course; b) an oral exam in the scheduled appeals. Both kinds of exam concern the whole program of the course and are structured in such a way as to verify what follows: if the student have understood the topics covered during the course, demonstrate to possess basic knowledge (as far as both the content and the specific linguistic expression are concerned), are able to apply abilities of analysis and reflection concerning the main areas of linguistics, as well as the suitable techniques and methods to the field.
Lesson mode
42 hours of lessons and exercises in the classroom.
  • Lesson code1025204
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseLinguistics
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDL-LIN/01
  • CFU6