Prospectus

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Topics in Georgian morphosyntax

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

No formal requirements, but a background in linguistics or the study of an individual language is strongly advised.

Description

Georgian belongs to the Kartvelian (or South Caucasian) language family, which also includes the Megrelian, Laz and Svan languages. From a typological point of view, these languages have very peculiar characteristics. We will discuss various features such as the aligment system, valency and transitivity, including syntactic derivation, subjecthood tests, so-called inverse verbs and the issues related to these features.
Different alignment subsystems coexist in the language. In transitive clauses, nominative-accusative and ergative-absolutive constructions are distinguished and singled out. Their distribution is very complex and depends on the TAM system, while the indexing system is very simple and clearly shows the nominative-accusative system. There is a small subsystem of neutral alignment expressed under the personal pronouns. In addition, the verbs of perception and most verbs in the perfect TAM show reverse marking: Agent is marked in the dative case, while the patient/theme is marked in the nominative case. The lectures will deal with the coexistence of these different subsystems and we will discuss them together with the tests of argumenthood, and point out two traditional approaches within Georgian linguistics. In addition, split intransitivity will be introduced and discussed together with other subsystems.
Georgian also exhibits rare features of valency and transitivity that need to be placed in the overall typological picture. The Georgian verb has a valency range between 0 and 4, and (if we stay within the binary system of transitivity) transitive and intransitive are presented. Their combination leads to some typologically rare types: such as bivalent intransitive, trivalent intransitive and quadrivalent. To show the full richness of the language, we can discuss with the students the mapping of semantic and syntactic valency and transitivity, using both traditional argument terms (subject, direct object, indirect object, oblique) and comparatively modern terms (S, A, P, T, R) to place them in typological context.
Students will be familiarised with morphosyntactic features and will be able to discuss and explain various topics from a typological point of view.

Course objectives

At the end of the course, the student has gained insight into the linguistic domains of transitivity, alignment systems, and subjecthood, and is able to apply these terms to the Georgian language but also put them cross-linguistic, typological persective.

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

  • Seminar

Assessment method

  • Essay, paper

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Assessment

Students will hand in a short research essay about one or more of the linguistic domains described above, in Georgian, a related language, or another language of the Caucasus.

Weighing

The grade for the final essay will constitute 100% of the grade

Resit

In case of a failing grade, the student has one more possibility to hand in a revised version of the essay.

Inspection and feedback

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

Selected readings will be given by the lecturer.

Registration

Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.

Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange

Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.

Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.

For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.

Contact

Remarks

Not applicable.