Studiegids

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Historical Linguistics

Vak
2019-2020

Admission requirements

Basic knowledge of phonology, phonetics and IPA. Students who have not followed the course Indo-European language and culture are advised to purchase and study the reader of that course.

Description

An introduction to Historical linguistics. The structure and meaning of words and sentences change over time. How and why does language change? The course provides answers to these questions with the help of examples from various languages, but predominantly from English and closely related languages such as Dutch, German and Frisian. During the seminars, the same processes discussed during the lectures will be illustrated with excercises about the same phenomena in lesser known languages.

Participants are also required to attend classes on Academic skills

Course objectives

  • Knowledge of and insight in the methodology of historical linguistics;

  • The skills to apply these insights to new data;

  • Knowledge of the terminology of historical linguistics.

Timetable

Linguistics (BA)

Mode of instruction

Lectures (1 hour weekly) and seminars (1 hour weekly).

Course Load

  • lectures: 12 hours

  • seminars: 12 hours

  • seminars Academic skills: 6 hours

  • written examinations (half-term and final): 4 hours

  • oral presentations: 2 hours

  • preparation lectures and seminars: 48 hours

  • preparation examinations: 56 hours

Assessment method

Oral presentation (10%), written examination (half-term, 20%) and final written examination (70%). There is a resit covering the material of the written examinations (90%) if the weighted average of the exams is insufficient.

Blackboard

Course materials (slides, exercises) will be made available on Blackboard

Reading list

To be purchased before the start of the course: Robert McColl Millar (2015): Trask’s Historical Linguistics. 3rd edition. London/New York: Routledge.

Joris J.W. Buis, Ger Post & Vincent R. Visser (2016): Academic Skills for Interdisciplinary Studies. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

Registration

Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.

General information about uSis is available on this website

Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs

Registration Contractonderwijs

Contact

Education Administration Office van Wijkplaats

E-mail address Education Administration Office van Wijkplaats: osz-oa-wijkplaats@hum.leidenuniv.nl

Coordinator of Studies

Remarks

This course is open to students from the BA Linguistics only.

First year’s students BA Linguistics will be enrolled in the seminars of this course by the Education Administration Office.