Admission requirements
A pass for Proto-Romance Grammar I: Phonology (5194KCI07Y) is desirable.
A fairly good knowledge of a Romance language – while not a prerequisite – is certainly an advantage. A degree of proficiency in Latin is advisable.
Description
Proto-Romance is the reconstructed ancestor of the Romance languages. Though the two are often confused, it is not as the same as Vulgar Latin – the former being a reconstructed while the latter is an actually (if scarcely) attested language. The subject to which this course is dedicated is reconstruction. It is accomplished by means of the comparative method as used elsewhere in historical linguistics (e.g. in Proto-Indo-European studies).
For the reconstruction we shall rely on Portuguese, Castillan, Catalan, Occitan, French, Italian and Romanian, often stressing minor languages or dialects, viz. in the so-called Romania Circumadriatica (Balkanlatein, Vegliot, Ragusan, Istro-Romanian, Friulan, Romagnolo, Central Marchigiano, Dauno, Garganico, Barese, Salentino).
In this course we shall focus on historical morphology, tracing the forms and the categories back to Proto-Romance. We shall pay special attention to the lexicon and the issue of loanword stratification. For instance, dating Pre-Romance, Arabic and Germanic loanwords in Catalan in relation to one another or Slavic, Greek, Germanic, Hungarian and Turkish in Romanian. A variety of early Romance (Old Occitan, Old Portuguese,…) texts such as Tant ai mon cor plen de joia and Testamento de Afonoso II will be read, in order to account for the material discussed in class.
Course objectives
Acquiring a thorough knowledge of Proto-Romance morphology and lexicon and its corresponding phenomena in the Romance languages of today.
Timetable
Time and date on which the course is offered or a link to the website.
Mode of instruction
2-hour weekly seminar
Assessment method
Asignments (20%) and exam (80 %). MA students will be required to do additional assignments.
Blackboard
Yes
Reading list
Allières, J. 2001. Manuel de linguistique romane. Paris.
Lausberg, H. 1956-62. Romanische Sprachwissenschaft. Berlin. (transl. 1976. Linguistica romanza. Milano)
Registration
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Registration Studeren à la carte
Registration Contractonderwijs