175-017 Historical Linguistics

Formerly available as 175-213/313. Students who have completed 175-213 or 175-313 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Completion of 175-105 Introduction to Language or 175-106 The Linguistics of English or departmental approval.

This subject examines the ways in which languages change over time, and the techniques used to infer what these changes have been. Specific topics include the nature of language change, the comparative method and linguistic reconstruction in phonology and morphology, the family-tree model of language change, effects of language contact, sociolinguistic aspects of language change, grammaticalisation, semantic change, language and prehistory, synthetic models based on historical linguistics, archaeology, genetics and diachronic anthropology. The focus will be on the languages of Europe, Australia and the western Pacific.

• be able to analyse unfamiliar systems;

• be able to present clear analyses of complex data.

Five assignment problems of 200 words each worth 10% per problem set (due early to mid semester), a team project of 1000 words with a 20 minute oral presentation 25% (due late semester), and an essay of 2500 words 25% (due at the end of the semester).

• T Crowley, Historical Linguistics. (2nd ed).