Linguistics 215
Introduction to Historical-Comparative Linguistics
Spring 2008
Instructor
Professor Carol Genetti
3514 South Hall
893-3574
cgenetti@linguistics.ucsb.edu
Office hours: W 1-2 , Th 11-12, by appt
Required reading
Campbell, Lyle. 2006. Historical Linguistics: An introduction. 2nd edition. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: MIT Press. (As assigned for 115)
Five articles on historical linguistics, to be announced throughout the term
Course Goals
This course will provide students with an overview of the field of historical linguistics, an
understanding of how and why languages change, and the methods and principles of
comparative and internal reconstruction. A significant emphasis will be the development
of skills of historical linguistic analysis.
The course will allow greater depth in the exploration of the nature of sound change,
grammatical change, and contact phenomena through analysis of classic and recent
articles in historical linguistics. This discussion will be supplemented by each student’s
exploration of the historical development of a particular language family, which will be
presented in oral and written form.
Course requirements
 Completion of readings (textbook and articles) before assigned due date
 Active participation in Friday discussion sections
 Completion of Monday/Wednesday homework sets (as per 115 students)
 4 quizzes (as per 115 – this is to prod you to study and consolidate your knowledge)
 Report on a language family, including:
 Biweekly oral reports on the state of the research, sound change, subgrouping,
grammaticalization, and areal issues
 A final written paper, 15-20 pages double-spaced, reporting your findings, due the
last day of class
 NOTE: No need to complete 115 Friday assignments or final exam
For pass/no-pass grading: Reading and class participation only; more if you want!
Tentative Course Schedule
Week 1
April 4th
Week 2
April 11th
Week 3
April 18th
Week 4
April 25th
Week 5
May 2
Week 6
May 9
Week 7
May 16
Week 8
May 23
Week 9
May 30
Week 10
June 6
Chen and Wang 1975 (diffusion)
Individual meetings; discuss language family; quiz
Presentation: basic overview of family
Reading: Bybee 2003 (frequency); quiz
Presentation: subgrouping proposals; argumentation
Reading: TBA (grammaticalization); quiz
Presentation: Grammatical change
Reading: TBA (areal linguistics); quiz
Presentation: Contact
Reading: TBA (something fun for the last day)
Presentation 1: Please inform the class about:
 Size of the family
 Location of modern languages
 Information about their vitality (numbers of speakers, endangerment?)
 Typological facts about the language
 Are they typologically similar or different?
 Constituent order
 Morphological type
 Phonological characteristics
 “Famous” features
 Primary subgrouping proposals (briefly; you’ll focus on this next time)
 Availability of data; references