Indo-European Linguistics 1

1. Knowledge of the methodological principles that rule the systematic comparison of the different Indo-European languages, specially in their first stages.
2. Comprehension of the main reconstruction lines of the phonologic system of the original Indo-European language, in order to apply them to the knowledge of the evolution of the historic languages, specially Greek and Latin.
3. General knowledge of the Indo-European language and culture that the current research allows to reconstruct.

1. Introduction.- Concept, origins and development of the Indo-European Linguistics. The Indo-European linguistic family. The Indo-European community. The Indo-Europeans in the Iberian Peninsula.

2. Phonetics and Phonology. – Vowel system: reconstruction of the vowel system. Diphthongs. Vowel alternation.- Consonant system: occlusive. Centum and satem languages. Consonant mutations. Fricatives: *s. Sonants. Laryngeals. Consonant groups: Grassmann’s rule and Bartholomae’s rule.- The accent.

1. Basic bibliography:

-- Beekes, R.S.P. (2011), 'Comparative Indo-European Linguistics. An Introduction', Second edition, Amsterdam / Philadelphia, John Benjamins.
-- Clackson, J. (2007), Indo-European Linguistics. An Introduction, Cambridge.
-- Fortson IV, B.W. (2010), 'Indo-European Language and Culture. An Introduction', Second Edition, Malden, MA / Oxford / Carlton, Wiley-Blackwell.
-- Fritz, M. & Meier-Brügger, M. (2021): 'Indogermanische Sprachwissenschaft', 10., völlig neu bearbeitete Auflage. Berlin / Boston, Walter de Gruyter [English translation from the 8th ed. 2002, by Ch. Gertmenian [2003]: Indo-European Linguistics, Berlin etc., de Gruyter].
-- Gamkrelidze, T.V. & Ivanov, V.V. (1995), 'Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans', Berlín / New York, de Gruyter, 1995.
-- Klein, J., Joseph, B. & Fritz, M. (in coop. with M. Wenthe), eds. (2017-2018): Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics (3 vols.), Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter Mouton.
-- Sihler, A.L. (1995), 'New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin', New York / Oxford, 1995.
-- Szemerényi, O. (1996), 'Introduction to Indo-European Linguistics', Oxford, Clarendon Press [Traducción española da ed. de 1970: 'Introducción a la lingüística comparativa', Madrid, Gredos, 1978].
-- Villar, F. (1996), 'Los indoeuropeos y los orígenes de Europa. Lenguaje e historia', Madrid, Gredos.

2. Additional bibliography:

-- Brugmann, K. & Delbrück, B. (1967), 'Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik der indogermanischen Sprachen', reprint Berlin / New York (= 2nd ed. Strassburg, 1897-1916).
-- Cowgill, W. & Mayrhofer, M. (1986), 'Indogermanische Grammatik I: Einleitung. Lautlehre', Heidelberg, Winter, 1986.
-- Giacalone Ramat, A. & Ramat, P., eds. (1993), 'Le lingue indoeuropee', Bologna, il Mulino.
-- Kurylowicz, J. (1968), 'Indogermanische Grammatik II: Akzent. Ablaut', Heidelberg, Winter.
-- Mallory, J.P. (1989), 'In Search of the Indo-Europeans. Language, Archaeology and Myth', London, Thames & Hudson.
-- Mallory, J.P. & Adams, D.Q., eds. (1997), 'Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture', London / Chicago, Fitzroy Dearborn.
-- Martinet, A. (1989), 'Des steppes aux océans. L'indo-européen et les "Indo-européens"', Paris, Payot.
-- Meillet, A. (1964), 'Introduction à l'étude comparative des langues indo-européennes', reimpr. University of Alabama Press.
-- Pokorny, J. (1959, 1969), 'Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch', Bern / München, Francke.

-- Knowledge of the state of the documentation of the old Indo-European languages, their geographical location, chronology and historic-cultural background.
-- Knowledge of the different writing systems for the transmission of documentation, as well as the transcription systems and their phonetic and phonological interpretation.
-- Knowledge and critical valuation of the different methodologies and theoretical approaches of the linguistic reconstruction.
-- Application of the historic-comparative method to the reconstruction of non-documented language stages.
-- Ability for applying the comparative knowledge to the diachronic study and to the etymologic research in classical languages and other ancient and modern Indo-European languages.
-- Solving of practical reconstruction problems in the phonologic level.
-- Distinguishing the different degrees of relationship between the Indo-European languages and the possible relations of the Indo-European group with other groups of its environment.
-- Application of the knowledge extracted from the historic-comparative linguistics to the different humanistic disciplines in touch (anthropology, prehistory and ancient history, religion, ancient thinking, etc.)

The course is thought as totally contact. From the three hours a week for lessons, about one hour will be devoted to solve practical problems (reconstruction from linguistic correspondences and evolutionary explanation of the historic forms from the reconstructed forms).
The teacher can propose compulsory and recommended readings. The students can also propose to go deep into concrete aspects of the syllabus that may be interesting for them in relation to the languages they study in their degrees, either classical languages or other Indo-European languages.
The principal contents and the exercises will be available through the on-line Virtual Campus.

The assessment system will be based on the following criteria (valid for both opportunities):
1st) Active participation in the classroom activities, and fulfilment of the proposed exercises: 20% of the final mark.
2nd) A final exam with an amount of 80% of the final mark. It will consist of two parts: a theoretical one, developing subjects or concepts of the syllabus, comprising the contents of the compulsory lectures; and a practical one, with the solving of exercises of correspondences and comparison.
3rd) The students with official exemption of attendance to the lectures will be valued exclusively from the final exam.

6-ECTS credits subject (6x25 = 150 hours of total student's workload).
These credits consist of 3 theoretical and 3 practical.
Work directed by the teacher: 75 h (50%): 42 h (56%) of contact sessions (three hours a week) and 33 h (44%) of directed non-contact activity.
Autonomous student's work: 75 h (50%).

Attending the sessions is necessary since the subject deals with concepts and problems that, in principle, are new for the students. Besides, the daily revision and control by the students are also necessary for consolidating the different issues. A deficient knowledge of the phonology part makes not possible an advance in morphophonology and so on. Participating at the lessons is highly recommended, by posing the difficulties and doubts that may arise from the presentations and from the bibliography.
Apart from the applicability of the subject to the Classical Philology, it is also recommended for students of other degrees in Philology, specially for those students who want to orientate their training into Diachronic Linguistics (Historical Grammar, Etymology) and Compared Literature.