Admission requirements
Languages of the World or equivalent.
Description
Morphology is the study of word structure, in which two aspects play a central role: word formation and inflection. Every language has means to augment its lexicon through word formation processes, such as the formation of compounds. Moreover, words often have more than one form (inflection), in which case the choice of a specific word form can depend on the syntactic environment, as, for example, in languages with case systems. Thus, morphology does not only focus on the structure of words themselves but also on the interaction with syntax. The morphological form of a word may affect its pronunciation (interaction with phonology) and partly determines its meaning (interaction with semantics). Morphology can therefore be defined as ‘grammar at word level’, and plays a prominent role in language description, historical linguistics, linguistic typology, lexicography, and psycholinguistics.
Course objectives
By the end of this course students will have acquired:
knowledge and insight into morphological phenomena
knowledge of morphological differences between languages
insight into the structure of the lexicon and the role of word structure in language production and perception
knowlege of the main theoretical insights into word structure
Timetable
Visit MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture (1 hour) in combination with seminar (1 hour), in various groups, with discussion of homework assignments and interaction between instructor and students.
Assessment method
Assessment takes place by a written midterm and final examination with short open questions.
Weighing
Midterm exam (30%)
Final exam (70%)
The final grade for the course is established by determining the weighted average of the results of the exams.
Resit
In case of an insufficient final grade, students can take a resit of the final exam.
Exam review
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Lieber, Rochelle (2016). Introducing Morphology (second edition). Cambridge: Cambridge 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 Studeren à la carte
Registration Contractonderwijs
Contact
For questions related to the content of the course, please contact the lecturer, you can find their contact information by clicking on their name in the sidebar.
For questions regarding enrollment please contact the Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats
E-mail address Education Administration Office Reuvensplaats: osz-oa-reuvensplaats@hum.leidenuniv.nl
For questions regarding your studyprogress contact the 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.