| CODE | ITL1020 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Introduzione alla filologia e alla linguistica storica (Introduction to Philology and Historical Linguistics) | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Italian | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Historical linguistics is the study of how languages change over time, examining shifts in sounds, grammar, and vocabulary, employing methods like the comparative approach to reconstruct earlier languages and trace their relationships. Its goal is to uncover the mechanisms and patterns of linguistic change. Philology is the study of texts, language, and their historical and cultural contexts, spanning the analysis of ancient and medieval manuscripts to modern digital files, focusing on linguistic structures and interpreting texts to reconstruct and understand their original form and meaning. Philology connects language, literature, and history. This study-unit intends to provide an introductory overview of both disciplines, showing how philology and historical linguistics are closely linked. Their interrelationship can be understood in terms of their focus, methodologies, and contributions to one another. Additional notes: This study-unit is taught and assessed in Italian. Study-Unit Aims: - To introduce students to the foundational concepts of philology and historical linguistics, focusing on their role in the study of language change and text analysis. - To provide an overview of the development of languages over time, with a particular emphasis on the historical methods used to trace linguistic evolution. - To introduce students to key philological techniques for textual analysis, including the interpretation of ancient manuscripts and the reconstruction of lost or fragmented texts. - To explore the intersection of historical linguistics and philology, highlighting how both disciplines contribute to our understanding of language, culture, and history. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Understand and describe the core concepts of philology and historical linguistics and their interconnections. - Identify key principles in the study of language change, including basic phonological, morphological, and syntactic developments. - Recognise the role of philology in reconstructing ancient languages and understanding textual evolution. - Understand the importance of historical texts in relation to their linguistic and cultural context. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Apply basic concepts and terminology from historical linguistics and philology to analyse texts and language change. - Develop foundational skills in textual analysis, focusing on language and structure in historical texts. - Transfer the ability to identify linguistic and historical aspects of texts to other areas of study. - Begin to place linguistic developments within a broader comparative and historical context. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Alfredo Stussi, Breve avviamento alla filologia italiana, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2015. - Elisabetta Magni, Linguistica storica, Bologna, Pàtron, 2014. |
||||||||
| ADDITIONAL NOTES | At least an intermediate level in Italian or permission from lecturer holding the study-unit. | ||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Fabrizio Foni Joseph Pace Asciak |
||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||