On completing this course students will:

• acquire the scientific – i.e. anthropological, biological, cultural – support which is necessary for the comprehension of the mechanisms of the language change. A special focus will be on Italian;
• acquire the theoretical basis of linguistics and the specific method that will allow her/him to acknowledge and describe the universal characteristics of human communication, including textual mechanisms;
• acquire the knowledge of the different branches of historical linguistics as the study of the cultural and environmental changes through the study of linguistic forms.

The course will be given as follows:

Glottology as an autonomous science (12 hours):

• before F. Bopp
• Indo-European linguistics within the organigistic pradigm (1)
• the Italian school

Indo-European and historical languages (12 hours):

• the Mémoire by Ferdinand de Saussure
• the Indo-Europeo vocalism and the Great Vowel Shift
• the Ido-European consonantism and the Lautverschiebungen
• Italian as a language of culture

Foundations of historical linguistics (12 hours)

• linguistic change
• linguistic contact
• onomastic and toponomastic
• geography of the languages of the world

Knowledge and understanding

On completing this course students will understand the mechanisms of cultural diversity by consciously observing linguistic diversity. Moreover, students will be able to to employ the historical perspective when approaching forms and meanings.

Applying knowledge and understanding

By applying acquired knowledge and understanding, the student must demonstrate that he can apply notions, categories, methods and tools of linguistics to the description and analysis of linguistic data.

Making judgements

On completing this course the student must be able to demonstrate that he can autonomously analyse linguistic phenomena comparable to those introduced during the course. He must moreover demonstrate that he is able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity, formulate judgements with incomplete or limited information.

Communication skills

On completing this course the student must demonstrate that he can communicate his knowledge to specialist and non-specialist audiences clearly and unambiguously by applying the terminology pertaining to sociolinguistics and by using appropriate examples supporting the theoretical description of the various linguistic phenomena.

Learning skills

On completing this course the student must demonstrate to have acquired the learning skills to allow him to continue to study in a manner that may be largely self-directed or autonomous.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

For further inquiries please contact the professor during the office hours or by email (mariarosaria.zinziATuniurb.it).

Teaching

Lectures; potential in-depth analysis of planned subjects by using lexica, etymological dictionaries, maps and linguistic atlas.

Attendance

Students must attend at least 27 hourse/course (3/4 course).

Course books

The set texts for the course are:

• B. PIATTI MORGANTI, PARADIGMI E RIVOLUZIONI NELLA STORIA DEL PENSIERO LINGUISTICO, ARAS EDIZIONI, 2012 (spec. le pp. 275-530)
• L. DEL TUTTO, L'IDEA VIENE PARLANDO, ARAS EDIZIONI, 2015

Additional course-related material will be given during the course.

Assessment

Oral assessment, i. e. an interview, involving questions linked to the topics of the course. The student will also be asked to analyse a phenomenon of linguistic change by applying acquired knowledge and understanding.

Students’ researches, when planned, must be delivered at the latest one week before the exam. The given assessment will be taken into account for the general assessment of the exam.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Attendance

Students not attending at least 27 hours/course are kindly invited to come anyway to the first lesson of the course or to inform the professor. They must prepare for a specific program.

Course books

The set texts for the course are:

• B. PIATTI MORGANTI, PARADIGMI E RIVOLUZIONI NELLA STORIA DEL PENSIERO LINGUISTICO, ARAS EDIZIONI, 2012 (spec. le pp. 275-530)
• L. DEL TUTTO, L'IDEA VIENE PARLANDO, ARAS EDIZIONI, 2015
• AA.VV., LINGUISTICA STORICA, CAROCCI  (s.d.)

Assessment

Oral assessment, i. e. an interview, involving questions linked to the topics of the course. The student will also be asked to analyse a phenomenon of linguistic change by applying acquired knowledge and understanding.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.