Introduction to historical linguistics

Course description

Historical linguistics is the study of language change. In this course, we will cover the following topics: types of language change; methods of linguistic reconstruction; effects of language contact; and linguistic classification and phylogenetics.

Catalogue description

Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. Requisites: courses 20, 103, 120A. Methods and theories appropriate to historical study of language, such as comparative method and method of internal reconstruction. Sound change, grammatical change, semantic change. P/NP or letter grading.

Winter 2021

Time: MW 4–5:50.

Location: Zoom.