LINGUISTICS COURSE OFFERINGS 2014-2015
LING 1101
Introduction to Linguistics (KMC-AS)
Fall –S. Murray/Spring – J. Whitman
An overview of the science of language, especially its theoretical underpinnings, methods, and major findings. Among the areas covered are:
the relation between sound and meaning in human languages, social variation in language, language change over time, universals of
language, and the mental representation of linguistic knowledge. Students are introduced to a wide variety of language phenomena, drawn
not only from languages resembling English, but also from many which appear to be quite unlike English, such as those native to the
Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and the South Pacific.
LING 1109
Histories and Mysteries (HB) (HA-AS)
Spring – A. Nussbaum
Where do the words we use come from? This course examines the history and structure of the English vocabulary from its distant IndoEuropean roots to the latest in technical jargon and slang. Topics include formal and semantic change, taboo and euphemism, borrowing,
new words from old, “learned” English loans from Greek and Latin, slang, and society.
LING 1131
Elementary Sanskrit I/ LING 1132 Elementary Sanskrit II
Fall–Staff.
An introduction to the essentials of Sanskrit grammar. Designed to enable the student to read classical and epic Sanskrit as quickly as
possible.
LING 1170
Introduction to Cognitive Science (KMC-AS)
Spring – K. Swallow
Surveys the study of how the mind/brain works. Examines how intelligent information processing can arise from biological and artificial
systems. Draws primarily from five disciplines that make major contributions to cognitive science: philosophy, psychology, neuroscience,
linguistics, and computer science. The first part of the course introduces the roles played by these disciplines in cognitive science. The second
part focuses on how each of these disciplines contributes to the study of five topics in cognitive science: language, vision, learning and
memory, action, and artificial intelligence.
LING 2217
History of the English Language to 1300 (HB) (HA-AS)
Fall –W. Harbert
This course explores the development of the English language from its Indo-European beginnings through the period of Early Middle English.
Topics covered include linguistic reconstruction, changes in sounds, vocabulary and grammatical structure, external influences, Old and Early
Middle English language and literature.
LING 2248
Native American Languages
Spring –S. Murray
This course explores the wide variety of languages indigenous to the Americas, in terms of linguistic structure as well as social, historical, and
political perspectives. Materials will be approached within the framework of linguistic theory, but no prior linguistic background is required,
and there are no prerequisites. In addition, no previous knowledge of any Native American languages is presumed.
LING 2251
Intermediate Sanskrit (GHB) Satisfies Option 1
Fall –A. Ruppel
Review of grammar and reading of selections from Sanskrit epic poetry and narrative prose. Prerequisite: at least one year study of Sanskrit
or equivalent.
LING 2261
Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics (HA-AS)
Fall- A. Nussbaum
An introduction to the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Proto-Indo-European and the chief historical developments of the daughter
languages.
LING 2285
Linguistic Theory and Poetic Structure (LA-AS)
Fall – J. Bowers
Poems are among the most highly structured linguistic objects that human beings produce. While some of the devices used in poetry are
arbitrary and purely conventional, most are natural extensions of structural properties inherent in natural language itself. The aim of this
course is to reveal the ways in which poetry is structured at every level, from rhyme to metaphor, and to show how certain results of modern
linguistics can usefully be applied to the analysis and interpretation of poetry. After introducing some of the basic concepts of modern
phonology, syntax and semantics, it will be shown how literary notions such as rhyme, meter, enjambment and metaphor can be formally
defined in linguistic terms. These results will then be applied to the analysis of particular poems and shown to yield novel and interesting
insights into both their structure and interpretation.
LING 3302
Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology (KCM-AS)
Spring – S. Tilsen
This course is an introduction to phonology, which studies the patterning of speech sounds in human language. Emphasis will be on formal
devices, such as rules and representations, which capture the internal organization of speech sounds as well as their grouping into larger
units, syllables, and feet.
Prerequisite: LING 1101 or permission of instructor.
LING 3303
Introduction to Syntax and Semantics (KCM-AS)
Fall –M. Despic
An introduction to syntax, which studies how words are combined to form phrases and sentences. The course aims to give students the
ability to address questions regarding the syntactic properties that are shared by natural languages (as well as those that distinguish them) in
a precise and informed way. The topics covered include those that lie at the heart of theoretical syntax: phrase structure, transformations,
grammatical relations and anaphora. Emphasis throughout the course is placed on forming and testing hypotheses.
Prerequisite: LING 1101 or permission of instructor.
LING 3308
Readings in Celtic Languages
Fall– W. Harbert
Reading/discussion groups in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.
Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
LING 3314
Introduction to Historical Linguistics (HB) (HA-AS)
Spring –M. Weiss
Survey of the basic mechanisms of linguistic changes, with examples from a variety of languages.
Prerequisite: LING 1101 or permission of instructor.
LING 3315/3316
Old Norse
Fall/Spring – B. Stefánsdóttir
Study of the linguistic structure of Old Norse, with extensive reading of Old Norse texts. The structure of Old Norse (Old Icelandic),
phonology, and morphology, with reading of selections from the Prose-Edda, a thirteeth-century narrative based on the Edaic poetry.
Spring: Extensive reading of Old Norse texts, among them selections from some of the major Icelandic family sagas: Nijals saga, Grettis saga,
and Egils saga, as well as the whole Hrafnkels saga.
LING 3321
History of Romance Languages I (HA-AS)
Fall – T. Alkire
The Romance languages are the lasting imprint of all that happened to the Latin language as it moved through time, territories, and people of
many ethnicities. While the Latin of antiquity retained its prestige in high culture, the natural untutored usage of ordinary people was always
free to go its own way. This course covers the following topics, selected to create a panoramic view: Formation of the general Romance
seven-vowel system from Latin. Early and widespread sound changes in popular Latin. Finding and interpreting evidence for trends in
popular Latin pronunciation. The comparative method and its limitations. Essential later sound changes, some of which create a whole new
order of consonants unknown to Latin but conspicuous in Romance. Nouns and adjectives from Latin to Romance. Formation of the present
indicative: the competing forces of sound change and analogical adjustment. A brief overview of Portuguese. Variants of the seven-vowel
system. Salient features of Romanian. Factors that helped shape the vocabulary of Romance. Medieval diglossia. Emergence of Romance
vernaculars newly recognized by their speakers as languages distinct from Latin and from each other. Close analysis of the oldest surviving
document written unmistakably in Romance (842 C. E.).
Prerequisites: a 2000-level (or higher) course in any Romance language, and some familiarity with a second one or with Latin.
LING 3322
History of Romance Languages II (HB) (HA-AS)
Spring – T. Alkire
Further study of historical developments in the Romance languages will be interleaved with readings of significant Romance texts from the
9th to 13th centuries, both notarial and literary. Topics covered include: More on medieval diglossia and scribal practices. How medieval
glosses bear on the study of early Romance. Losses and innovation in the Romance lexicon. Formation of three high-frequency irregular
verbs: be, have, and go. Raising and yod effects in Spanish and Italian, yod metathesis in French. Verb morphology from Latin to Romance
with emphasis on the synthetic past, the periphrastic past and future, newly created past participles, and the conditional mood. Students will
become acquainted with the resources for studying medieval documents and produce an annotated translation of an excerpt from a pre1400 Romance text as a final project.
Prerequisite: ROMS 3210 or permission of instructor.
LING 3390
Independent Study in Linguistics
Fall/Spring –Staff
Independent study of linguistic topics not covered in regular curriculum for undergraduates.
Permission only.
LING 4310
Topics in Cognitive Science – Topic: Consciousness and Free Will
Fall - S. Edelman, H. Segal.
This advanced seminar will examine creativity in a wide range of settings and disciplines. We shall read about and discuss examples and
invoke concepts from animal behavior, human psychology and literary theory, and computational theory and modeling.
Prerequisite: COGST 3140 or COGST 6140.
LING 4401
Phonology I (KCM-AS)
Fall – D. Zec
Provides an introduction to phonological theory. The empirical basis, theoretical approaches, and relevant literature are explored through
extensive data analysis and critical reading.
Prerequisite: LING 3302 or equivalent.
LING 4403
Syntax I (KCM-AS)
Fall – M. Despic
An advanced introduction to syntactic theory within the principles and parameters/minimalist frameworks. The topics covered include
phrase structure, argument structure (unaccusative verbs, unergative verbs, double object constructions), principles of word order, and the
binding theory.
Prerequisite: LING 3303 or permission of instructor.
LING 4411
History of Japanese Language - (GHB) (HA-AS)
Fall – J. Whitman
Overview of the history of the Japanese language followed by intensive examination of issues of interest to participants. Students should
have reading knowledge of Japanese.
Prerequisite: reading knowledge of Japanese.
LING 4419
Phonetics I (KCM-AS)
Spring –S. Tilsen
Provides a basic introduction to the study of phonetics. Topics to be covered include anatomy and physiology of the speech production
apparatus, transcription and production of some of the world's sounds, basic acoustics, computerized methods of speech analysis, acoustic
characteristics of sounds, speech perception, speech synthesis, stress and intonation.
Prerequisite: LING 3302 or permission of instructor.
LING 4421
Semantics I (KCM-AS)
Fall – S. Murray.
This course introduces methods for theorizing about meaning within generative grammar. These techniques allow us to create grammars
which pair syntactic structures with meanings. We will look at several empirical areas in detail, among them complementation (combining
heads with their arguments), modification, conjunction, definite descriptions, relative clauses, traces, bound pronouns and
quantification. An introduction to logical and mathematical concepts used in linguistic semantics (such as set theory, functions and their
types, and the lambda notation for naming linguistic meanings) is included in the course.
Prerequisite: LING 3303 or permission of instructor.
LING 4423
Morphology (KCM-AS)
Spring – M. Despic
This course addresses the basic issues in the study of words and their structures. It provides an introduction to different types of
morphological structures with examples from a wide range of languages. Special emphasis is given to current theoretical approaches to
morphological theory.
Prerequisite: LING 3302, LING 3303 or permission of instructor.
LING 4424
Computational Linguistics (MQR)
Fall – M. Rooth
Computational models of natural languages. Topics include tree syntax and treebank databases; broad-coverage probabilistic grammars;
finite state generative phonology; computational semantics; computational minimalist grammar; finite state optimality-theoretic phonology;
Hidden Markov models of acoustic realization; text and speech corpora; lab methods in Unix/Linux environment.
Prerequisite: CS 2800 or LING 3302 or LING 3303, or permission of instructor.
LING 4425
Pragmatics (KCM-AS)
Spring – D.Abusch
What is the relationship between what words mean and how they are used? What is part of the grammar and what is a result of general
reasoning? Pragmatics is often thought of as the study of how meaning depends on the context of utterance. However, it can be difficult to
draw a line between pragmatics and semantics. In this course, we will investigate various topics that walk this line, including varieties of
linguistic inference (including entailment, presupposition, and implicature), anaphora, indexicals, and speech acts.
Prerequisite: LING 3303 or PHIL 2310, or permission of instructor.
LING 4430
Structure of Korean (KCM-AS)
Spring – J. Whitman
Intensive examination of the syntax and phonology of a non-Indo-European language with the objective of testing principles of current
linguistic theory.
Prerequisite: KOREA 1102 or linguistics course.
LING 4436
Language Development (KCM-AS)
Spring – B. Lust
A survey of basic issues, methods, and research in study of first-language acquisition. Major theoretical positions in the field are considered
in the light of experimental studies in first-language acquisition of phonology, syntax, and semantics from infancy on. The fundamental
linguistic issues of universal grammar and the biological foundations for acquisition are discussed, as are the issues of relations between
language and thought. The acquisition of communication systems in non-human species such as chimpanzees are addressed but major
emphasis is on the child.
Prerequisite: at least one course in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, cognitive development, neurobiology, biology, or
linguistics.
LING 4440
Undergraduate Seminar in Linguistics –Theme: The Shaping of Modern English
Spring – W. Harbert
This course is intended as an opportunity for advanced linguistics majors to put to use the analytical skills they have acquired in foundation
courses on real world research questions. A seminar theme is identified which is sufficiently broad in scope to encompass problems in all of
the major subfields of linguistic analysis, and students are guided by the instructor to individual research topics within its scope which
correspond to their individual linguistics interests. The instructional format alternates between group meetings and small group/individual
meetings with the instructor. The topic area will change from year to year.
Thesis: Old English was a garden variety Germanic language. Modern English, however, is strikingly different typologically from the other
members of its genetic family, in the shape of its lexicon, its derivational morphology, its inflectional morphology, and its syntax. These
differences arose during a period of apparently rapid linguistic change stretching from the end of the Old English Period through Early
Modern English, though with residues that are still being negotiated and debated. The changes in question are well known and well
documented, but in many cases their causes and their effects are not well understood, either descriptively or explanatorily, and offer many
opportunities for individual contributions to their understanding.
Prerequisites: Completion of the foundation courses for the Linguistics major, or permission of the instructor.
LING 4451
Greek Comparative Grammar (KCM-AS)
Fall - A. Nussbaum.
The prehistory and evolution of the sounds and forms of ancient Greek as reconstructed by comparison with the other Indo-European
languages.
Prerequisite: thorough familiarity with morphology of classical Greek.
LING 4455
Greek Dialects (KCM-AS)
Fall - A. Nussbaum.
An examination of the features of the major dialects of ancient Greek and their historical relationships, with special attention to literary
Doric, the Lesbian of Sappho and Alcaeus, Homeric Ionic and the question of “Achaean.”
LING 4461
Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics (HA-AS)
Fall – A. Nussbaum.
An introduction to the phonology, morphology, and syntax of Proto-Indo-European and the chief historical developments of the daughter
languages.
LING 4474
Introduction to Natural Language Processing
Spring –Staff
Computationally oriented introduction to natural language processing, the goal of which is to enable computers to use human languages as
input, output, or both. Possible topics include parsing, grammar induction, information retrieval, and machine translation.
Prerequisite: CS 2210.
LING 4491/4492
Honors Research Workshop I/II
Fall/Spring – A. Cohn
This course will add more structure and guidance to students doing an honors thesis in linguistics.
Prerequisite: submission of honors thesis application and permission of Director of Undergraduate Studies.
LING 4493/4494
Honors Thesis Research (Undergraduate Majors)
Fall, Spring –Staff
Ling 4493 may be taken before or after Linguistics 4494, or may be taken independently. Ling 4494 may be taken as a continuation of, or
before, Linguistics 4493.
LING 6248
Native American Languages
Spring –S. Murray
This course explores the wide variety of languages indigenous to the Americas, in terms of linguistic structure as well as social, historical, and
political perspectives. Materials will be approached within the framework of linguistic theory, but no prior linguistic background is required,
and there are no prerequisites. In addition, no previous knowledge of any Native American languages is presumed
LING 6285
Linguistic Theory and Poetic Structure (LA-AS)
Fall – J. Bowers
Poems are among the most highly structured linguistic objects that human beings produce. While some of the devices used in poetry are
arbitrary and purely conventional, most are natural extensions of structural properties inherent in natural language itself. The aim of this
course is to reveal the ways in which poetry is structured at every level, from rhyme to metaphor, and to show how certain results of modern
linguistics can usefully be applied to the analysis and interpretation of poetry. After introducing some of the basic concepts of modern
phonology, syntax and semantics, it will be shown how literary notions such as rhyme, meter, enjambment and metaphor can be formally
defined in linguistic terms. These results will then be applied to the analysis of particular poems and shown to yield novel and interesting
insights into both their structure and interpretation.
LING 6314
Introduction to Historical Linguistics (HB) (HA-AS)
Spring –M. Weiss
Survey of the basic mechanisms of linguistic changes, with examples from a variety of languages. Prerequisite: LING 1101 or permission of
instructor.
LING 6401
Phonology I (KCM-AS)
Fall – D. Zec
Provides an introduction to phonological theory. The empirical basis, theoretical approaches, and relevant literature are explored through
extensive data analysis and critical reading.
Prerequisite: LING 3302 or permission of instructor.
LING 6402
Phonology II (KCM-AS)
Spring – A. Cohn.
Provides further refinement of the issues investigated in LING 6401 with a focus on developing research skills. Prerequisite: LING 6401 or
permission of instructor.
Prerequisite: LING 6401 and or permission of instructor.
LING 6403
Syntax I (KCM-AS)
Fall – M. Despic
An advanced introduction to syntactic theory within the principles and parameters/minimalist frameworks. The topics covered include
phrase structure, argument structure (unaccusative verbs, unergative verbs, double object constructions), principles of word order, and the
binding theory.
Prerequisite: LING 3303 or permission of instructor.
LING 6404
Syntax II (KCM-AS)
Spring – M. Diesing
A continuation of LING 6403, focusing on syntactic dependencies, including the theory of control, an examination of locality constraints on
movement, covert versus overt movement, and the syntax of quantification. The purpose of the course is to develop the background needed
for independent syntactic research.
Prerequisite: LING 6403 and or permission of instructor.
LING 6419
Phonetics I (KCM-AS)
Spring –S. Tilsen
Provides a basic introduction to the study of phonetics. Topics to be covered include anatomy and physiology of the speech production
apparatus, transcription and production of some of the world's sounds, basic acoustics, computerized methods of speech analysis, acoustic
characteristics of sounds, speech perception, speech synthesis, stress and intonation.
Prerequisite: LING 3302 or permission of instructor.
LING 6422
Semantics II
Spring – M. Rooth
The course uses the techniques introduced in Semantics I to analyze linguistic phenomena including quantifier scope, ellipsis and referential
pronouns. Temporal and possible worlds semantics will be introduced and used in the analysis of modality, tense, and belief sentences. The
phenomena of presupposition, indefinite descriptions, and anaphora are analyzed in a dynamic compositional framework which formalizes
the idea that sentence meaning effects a change in an information state.
Prerequisite: LING 4421 or permission of instructor.
LING 6423 Morphology (KCM-AS)
Spring – M. Despic
This course addresses the basic issues in the study of words and their structures. It provides an introduction to different types of
morphological structures with examples from a wide range of languages. Special emphasis is given to current theoretical approaches to
morphological theory.
Prerequisite: LING 3302, LING 3303, or permission of instructor.
LING 6600
Field Methods
Fall – J. Whitman
Elicitation, recording, and analysis of data from a native speaker of an understudied non-Western language. Provides basic experience in
linguistic fieldwork.
Prerequisites: LING 4401/6401 or LING 3302 and LING 4403/6403 or LING 3303, or permission of instructor.
LING 6601
Topics in Phonological Theory
Fall –A. Cohn
Selected topics in current phonological theory.
Prerequisites: LING 4401 and one higher-level phonology course.
LING 6603
Research Workshop
Spring – M. Diesing
Provides a forum for presentation and discussion of ongoing research, and development of professional skills. Participants must enroll in a
concurrent independent study with a special committee member, or a relevant workshop. Can be taken more than once. Requirement for
second year linguistics graduate students.
LING 6604
Research Workshop
Fall–D.Zec
This course provides a forum for presentation and discussion of ongoing research, and development of professional skills. Participants must
enroll in a concurrent independent study with a special committee member, or a relevant workshop. Required of third-year linguistics
students.
LING 6615
Topics in Semantics
Fall - D. Abusch.
Selected topics in semantic theory, focusing on recent literature.
Prerequisite: LING 4421 or permission of instructor
LING 6616
Topics in Syntactic Theory
Fall – J. Bowers
Examination of recent developments in syntactic theory, including ‘minimalist’ approaches to phrase structure, derivations/representations
and the nature of economy conditions, and parametric differences.
Prerequisite: LING 4404 or permission of instructor.
LING 6633
Language Acquisition Seminar
Fall–B. Lust
This seminar reviews and critiques current theoretical and experimental studies of first-language acquisition, with a concentration on insights
gained by cross-linguistic study of this area. Attention is also given to the development of research proposals.
Prerequisite: LING 4436 or equivalent or permission of instructor.
LING - 6635 Indo-European Workshop
Spring – M. Weiss
An assortment of subjects intended for students with previous training in Indo-European linguistics: problems in the reconstruction ProtoIndo-European, topics in the historical grammars of the various IE languages, reading and historical linguistic analysis of texts, and
grammatical sketches of "minor" IE languages.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor required.
LING 6692
Phonetic Data Analysis Workshop
Fall, Spring.
The phonetics data analysis workshop provides students with practice in analysis and visualization of phonetic data, using Matlab, R, and
Praat. Experiment design and statistical methods are emphasized.
LING 7701/7702 Directed Research
Fall, Spring - Staff
LING 7711
Semantics Seminar
Fall, M. Rooth.; Spring, S.Murray
Addresses current theoretical and empirical issues in semantics.
LING 7714
Phonology Seminar
Spring – D.Zec
Seminars are offered according to faculty interest and student demand. Recent topics include Speech sounds: their phonetic variability and
phonological organization; Aspects of Temporal and Rhythmic Organization of Speech; The interfaces between phonology, syntax and
semantics, with a focus on the prosody of clitics.
Breadth and Distribution Requirements
Historical – (HB), Geographical (non-western proficiency) – (GHB), Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning (MQR), Cultural Analysis (CA),
Historical Analysis (HA), Knowledge, Cognition, and Moral Reasoning (KCM), Literature and the Arts (LA), Physical and Biological Sciences (PBS),
Social and Behavioral Analysis (SBA)