116-466 The Story of Italian

Note

Available as 116-366 at 3rd-year level.

Availability

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Completion of second year Italian (33.3 credit points) (3rd year) or admission to Italian Honours school (4th year).

Contact

Subject Description

A description of the development of the Italian language since its Indo-European origins. Roman Italy, the fragmentation of Latin and the genesis of Italian dialects. The questione della lingua and the ascendancy of Tuscan/Roman in literature, trade, science and the bureaucracy. Attention will also be given to the study of one regional dialect. On completion of this subject, students should have acquired a basic knowledge of the structures of Latin to the extent that they are reflected in present-day Italian; a knowledge of the development of Italian from post-classical Latin to the language spoken in contemporary Italy, and the reasons for that development; and a basic knowledge of the structures of at least one of the major dialects still spoken in the Italian peninsula.

Assessment

Written assignments totalling not more than 5000 words (3rd year) / 6000 words (4th year).

Prescribed Texts

See Italian Studies Course Handbook for details.