Post on 02-Feb-2016
Comparative Linguistics
Prof. Julia NeeSpring 2014
Universidad LaSalle Oaxaca
Course Overview• Question: Is this class going to be in English, or in Spanish?
– Lectura en español– Classes in English (lo más posible – si hay dudas, podemos clarificar en
español)– Quizzes and Homeworks – You can choose!
• Goal: El propósito de este curso es introducir a los alumnos con los conceptos claves de la lingüística comparada. Vamos a ver:– conceptos básicos de la lingüística teórica en general, con un enfoque en
como estos conceptos se pueden aplicar al campo de lingüística comparada– las relaciones genéticas que tienen las lenguas del mundo; las teorías de
cómo y porque las lenguas cambian– cambios fonéticos, morfológicos, sintácticos, semánticos, y léxicos– los efectos de área, como préstamo; los conceptos de tipología y su
aplicación al campo comparativo
Miss Julia wants to know about you!
1. Where are you from originally? Where did you grow up? How long have you lived in Oaxaca?
2. What languages have you studied? What is your level in each language?
3. Why are you interested in Modern Languages?4. What do you hope to do when you graduate?5. What do you hope to learn from this course?
Requísitos del curso
• Tarea: 30%– Semanal– Se puede trabajar en grupos, pero el trabajo
entregado tiene que ser elaborado individualmente• Participación: 10%– Asistencia: 6 faltas = extraordinario; 12 faltas =
recursamiento– Contribución a la clase de manera productiva; uso
de inglés lo más posible
Requísitos del Curso
• Proyecto: 30%– Trabajar en grupos aplicando la metodología
aprendida a una lengua– Presentar el proyecto a la clase
• Pruebas: 30%– Una prueba cada miércoles que cubre la
información presentada la semana anterior– Respuestas aceptadas en inglés o español
Questions?
• Most important: Ask questions if you are confused!
• My aim: Everyone should try their best!
What is comparative linguistics?
• The study of relationships which exist between genetically related languages (Beekes 2011).
• Subfield of “Historical Linguistics” (the study of how languages change).
• Have you noticed any linguistic changes?– “Vosotros” form– “Spanglish” words and phrases
Don Quixote
SpanishEn un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco, y galgo corredor.
Spanglish (translated by Ilán Stavans)
In un placete de La Mancha of which nombre no quiero remembrearme, vivía, not so long ago, uno de esos gentlemen who always tienen una lanza in the rack, una buckler angiqua, a skinny caballo y un grayhound para el chase.
Discovery of Indo-European
• Sanskrit introduced to Europe• Before, believed the “Tower of Babel” story– All languages had the same source– Probably Hebrew
• Sir William Jones – 1786
Sir William Jones“The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure; more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity, both in the roots of verbs and in the forms of grammar, than could possibly have been produced by accident; so strong indeed, that no philosopher could examine them all three, without believing them to have sprung from some common source, which, perhaps, no longer exists.”
“La lengua sánscrita, cualquiera que sea su antigüedad, tiene una maravillosa estructura; más perfecta que el griego, más abundante que el latín, y más exquisitamente refinada que cualquier otra, pero manteniendo entre ellas una afinidad más fuerte de la que pudiera posiblemente haberse producide por accidente, tanto en las raíces de los verbos como en las fromas gramaticales; es tan marcado, de hecho, que ningún filólogo podría examinar las tres, sin creer que han surgido de una fuente común, que quizá ya no exista.”
Which languages are related?A B C D E F G H I
Brother Phrater Frater Umbu Bratre Bhrater Hermano
Bruder Broeder
Is Esti Est Ni Yestre Asti Es Ist Is
Mother Meter Mater Mama Mati Matar Madre Mutter Moeder
Sister Eor Soror Umbu Sestra Svasar Hermana Schwester Zuster
Daughter Thugater Futir Mwana Duster Duhitar Hija Tochter Dochter
Me Eme Me Mimi Me Mam Mi Mir Mij
One Oinos Unus Moja Inu Eka Uno Ein Men
Which languages are related?English Greek Latin Swahili Old Slavic Sanskrit
Brother Phrater Frater Umbu Bratre Bhrater
Is Esti Est Ni Yestre Asti
Mother Meter Mater Mama Mati Matar
Sister Eor Soror Umbu Sestra Svasar
Daughter Thugater Futir Mwana Duster Duhitar
Me Eme Me Mimi Me Mam
One Oinos Unus Moja Inu Eka
English Greek Latin Swahili Old Slavic
Sanskrit Spanish German Dutch
Brother Phrater Frater Umbu Bratre Bhrater Hermano
Bruder Broeder
Is Esti Est Ni Yestre Asti Es Ist Is
Mother Meter Mater Mama Mati Matar Madre Mutter Moeder
Sister Eor Soror Umbu Sestra Svasar Hermana Schwester Zuster
Daughter Thugater Futir Mwana Duster Duhitar Hija Tochter Dochter
Me Eme Me Mimi Me Mam Mi Mir Mij
One Oinos Unus Moja Inu Eka Uno Ein Men
Indo-European Family
Language vs. Dialect
• How can we define a language versus a dialect?
• It is completely arbitrary!– Based on socio-political factors– Non-linguistic decision
Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian
• Unified as “Yugoslavia” in 1918 spoke “Serbo-Croatian,” a standardized language that aimed to unify individuals within the state– “Serbs, Croats and Montenegrins share a single
language with two equal variants that have developed around Zagreb and Belgrade.” (1954)
• Broke into separate republics in 1990 (and after) each state developed its own standard
Comparison of the Languages
Croatian• Burza• Porculan• Hrda• Čahura• Hrvač
Serbian• Berza• Porcelan• Rda• Čaura• Rvač
Dialects of English
• Wide variety of English spoken worldwide• No motivation to develop distinct English
“languages”• Differentiation between British and American
English:– Noah Webster wrote the first American Dictionary
to differentiate American and British English– Different spellings
Comparison of English
British• Orthographic Differences
– Programmes– Grey– Organise– Criticise
• Pronunciation Differences– /hænər/– /chant/– /mum/
American• Orthographic Differences
– Programs– Gray– Organize– Criticize
• Pronunciation Differences– /hænuh/– /chænt/– /mam/
African American Vernacular English
• High level of segregation in the United States• “Standard English” is the “prestige dialect”– Taught in schools– Considered to be “correct”
• AAVE is highly regular, but different from Standard English
Comparison of Standard and AAV English
AAVE• You ain’t goin’ to no heaven.• Don’t nobody know.• He be working.• He working.
Standard American English• You aren’t going to heaven.
• Nobody knows.• He is working.• He is working.
What are linguists interested in?
• Language as it is actually used• Not interested in “prescriptive grammar”
(rules we learn in school)• Focused on “descriptive grammar” (what
people actually say)• Use phonetic transcription, rather than
orthography (when possible)