54
Glottology and Linguistics
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course aims to provide students with the knowledge and methodological tools necessary for the following activities: Classification and analysis of linguistic signs; - Recognition of the main general properties of language; Classification of speech sounds and their transcription using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA); Phonemic analysis and decomposition; Analysis of prosodic properties; Morphological decomposition of words into morphemes and classification of morphemes; Syntactic analysis using tree diagrams and labeled brackets; Analysis of semantic relations between lexemes; Analysis of language change across different levels (phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics); Study of the main effects of language contact (phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical interference). Students must also demonstrate an understanding of the historical development of key linguistic concepts and methodologies, situating them within their broader theoretical framework. Additionally, they are expected to apply these analytical skills to both Italian and another language of their choice (Romance, Indo-European, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or another language).
Course Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites.
Teaching Methods
The course will consist of 56 hours, including the following activities:
1. Lectures on the theory and history of linguistics, covering the key concepts students are expected to learn.
2. Illustration of concepts through the analysis of concrete examples from one or more specific languages, applying relevant analytical tools and procedures.
3. Practical application of analytical methods to linguistic data through exercises completed independently by students, with corrections provided in subsequent sessions.
4. Exercises conducted collectively during class hours.
5. Individual exercises completed autonomously by students outside of class.
Assessment Methods
The evaluation will cover the topics addressed during the course, supplemented by the four groups of texts listed above.
Students may choose between two assessment methods:
1) Continuous Assessment. Consists of one or two written tests (depending on scheduling feasibility) followed by an oral examination. The written tests will take place during or immediately after the course (exact dates will be announced in class) and will include multiple-choice and open-ended questions. The oral exam must be completed by the summer session immediately following the semester. Students who achieve a satisfactory grade in the written component will be exempt from questions on texts 1 and 2 during the oral exam.
2) Single Final Exam. Consists of a comprehensive oral examination, which can be taken in any of the scheduled exam sessions. The exam may include practical exercises, potentially administered as a written questionnaire (to be completed during the oral exam). The oral discussion will cover the entire syllabus.
Evaluation Criteria. The assessment will evaluate the student’s ability to: Explain the main tools of linguistic analysis across different levels using appropriate terminology and cultural references. Contextualize concepts within the history of linguistics. Apply these methods correctly to specific cases presented during the exam.
Texts
1. Basile, G., and others (2010). Linguistica generale. Rome: Carocci.
2. Graffi, G. (2019). Breve storia della linguistica. Rome: Carocci.
3. Lazzeroni, R. (2017). Linguistica storica. Rome: Carocci, for the following chapters:
- L. Lazzeroni, Il mutamento linguistico, pp. 13-54;
R. Gusmani, Interlinguistica, pp. 87-114.
4. Students can select a specific option from the list below based on their individual interests:
4.i. (for students of Arabic) Brugnatelli, V., La famiglia delle lingue afro-asiatiche (o camito-semitiche). In Banfi, E. – Grandi, N., ed. (2012). Le lingue extraeuropee: Asia e Africa. Rome: Carocci, pp. 443-87;
4.ii. (for the students of Chinese): Banfi, E. –Arcodia, G.F., La famiglia delle lingue sino-tibetane, in Banfi, E. – Grandi, N., ed. (2012), Le lingue extraeuropee: Asia e Africa. Rome: Carocci, pp. 363-411.
4.iii. (for the students of Japanese and Korean): Banfi, E. –Arcodia, G.F. La posizione del coreano e del giapponese. In Banfi, E. – Grandi, N., ed. (2012). Le lingue extraeuropee: Asia e Africa. Rome: Carocci, pp. 263-302.
4.iv. (for the students of Iranian and Indo-Arian languages): Candotti, M.P. –Da Milano, F. Le lingue indo-europee in Asia. In Banfi, E. – Grandi, N., eds. (2012). Le lingue extraeuropee: Asia e Africa. Rome: Carocci, pp. 81-142.
4.v. (for the students of Romance languages): Metzeltin, M., Le lingue romanze. In Banfi, E., ed. (1993), Le lingue d’Europa tra la fine del I e del II millennio. Florence: La Nuova Italia, pp. 41-90.
4.vi (for the students of Germanic languages): Meli, M., Le lingue germaniche, in Banfi, E., ed. (1993). Le lingue d’Europa tra la fine del I e del II millennio. Florence: La Nuova Italia, pp. 91-144.
4.vii (for the students of Slavic languages): Cantarini, A., Le lingue slave. In Banfi, E., ed. (1993), Le lingue d’Europa tra la fine del I e del II millennio. Florence: La Nuova Italia, pp. 145-93.
4.viii. Students interested in other languages may ask to the professor to adapt the program for this specific section (4).
Contents
1. The matter and the object of linguistics;
2. Semiotic basis of linguistics;
3. Phonetics;
4. Phonology;
5. Morphology;
6. Lexicon;
7. Syntax;
8. Semantics;
9. Pragmatics;
10. Language and society;
11. The linguistic change;
12. Language contact.
Course Language
Italian