From last year's syllabus: (please note that due to changes to GEC requirements, and different instructors, the course will also undergo changes this year) LINGUISTICS 301 Language Evolution and Language Change Carmen course website: https://carmen.osu.edu/ Textbook: Lyle Campbell Historical Linguistics: an introduction 2nd edition (MIT, 2004) Optional: Lyle Campbell & Mauricio Mixco A Glossary of Historical Linguistics (2007) Course Description: We will look at the phenomenon of language diversity from two interrelated perspectives: that of the investigation of diachronic variation, examining language change and evolution through time, and that of the investigation of synchronic variation, that is looking at language variation in one moment in time, in which we realize no two speakers, even of the same language or dialect, are completely identical in all aspects of their language use. The inter-relationship between these approaches to linguistic diversity stems from the fact that change through time on the one hand is triggered by the intrinsic variation found at any synchronic stage and on the other hand generally leads to increased differentiation between varieties of speech, as speakers come to differ from one another in their speech habits; in this way, over time, both dialects within a language and separate languages can arise. Diversity is thus, somewhat paradoxically, both the beginning point of change and the result of change. Linguists are able to chart the paths by which variation arises, and to work backwards from variation to gain an idea of what a common starting point looked like for related languages. We will examine kinds of language evolution and change, the causes thereof, and the methods linguists use to analyze language change and how they model the relationships among dialects and languages. Special emphasis is put on the role of linguistic variation. External influences will be examined (e.g. social context, writing systems, contact with other speakers and cultures, self- and group-imposed ideologies and attitudes, etc.) in the historical development of languages and as bringing about linguistic differentiation and diversity. Counteracting forces of convergence (reduction of variation) through contact and standardization will be examined as well. Fulfills GEC requirement: 5.B.3 Arts and Humanities: Analysis of Texts and Works of Art: Culture and Ideas This course is designed to provide you with a broad perspective on some of the different mechanisms shaping language evolution. The insights of historical linguistics will be examined alongside a critical study of other ideological, historical, and cultural issues which can be seen to inform the development of languages both within and outside the Indo-European language family. The course proposes to develop a better understanding of some of the theoretical frameworks used in the comparative study of language and societies, enabling a cross-cultural analysis of questions relevant to all of them. By examining representative selections you will develop a humanistic perspective that fosters capacities for cultural and theoretical response and judgment as well as analytical skills to appreciate and evaluate some of the aspects common to languages of distinct origins. Course Objectives: The main objectives for this course are: 1. To develop a theory about Language Evolution and Change • Language change is normal and expected. • Variation is the basis of language change. It is the present-day (synchronic) reflection of historical (diachronic) developments as well as the jumping off point for new linguistic change. • Due to normal processes of language change, fluctuations, irregularities, and exceptions become part of a language. 2. To understand the relationship between extra-linguistic (such as social) factors and language change 3. To develop methods used to learn about and analyze language change • Examining language change in progress around us synchronically • Comparative method in reconstructing changes from the past • Genetic classification of languages