CLASSIC TIBETAN MOD.2

The Classical Tibetan Course is included in the Bachelor's Degree Programme in "Languages, cultures and societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa". In line with the aims of the degree programme, the Classical Tibetan Course contributes to the development of linguistic skills in Asian languages ​​and of solid knowledge of the related cultures and societies. Therefore, this course helps to develop cultural mediation skills concerning the Asian area, which is one among the aims of the aforementioned degree programme.
In particular, by providing philological and linguistic knowledge of classical Tibetan, this course lays a solid foundation for the study of Tibetan tradition, as well as the translation of its texts. Moreover, by deepening the lexical and conceptual apparatus of Tibetan philosophical and religious literature and providing an overview of its main literary genres, the Course also offers the opportunity to deepen one's knowledge of Asian cultural heritage. Specifically, the study of classical Tibetan is a fundamental tool for accessing the philosophical and literary sources of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of the syntax of Tibetan language and will be able to apply them in reading, understanding and translating literary sources. They will also learn how to consult dictionaries and argue their translation renderings. Students will also learn how to frame different texts within their literary contexts, and will be required to show their understanding of the distinctive characteristics of the literary and philosophical genres examined during the course. In particular, the conceptual apparatus and the lexicon of Tibetan Buddhist literature will be studied. Students will thus acquire the fundamental methods for accessing the Tibetan literary sources.

This course requires basic knowledge of Tibetan language, consistent with the level achieved by attending Module 1. Furthermore, good English language skills are recommended for consulting dictionaries and other materials.

Following after the topics introduced in Module 1, the study of classical Tibetan grammar and syntax will continue, addressing the following subjects:
- in-depth study of connectors and their use in complex sentences;
- other fundamental sentence elements;
- variable syntactic connectors;
- in-depth study of the verb (some important verb types, verb suffixes and analytical verb forms);
- overview of major literary genres in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition;
- in-depth study of the vocabulary and conceptual apparatus of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Throughout the Course, simple and complex sentences and passages pertaining to various literary genres will be collegially analyzed and translated.

Required readings:
- F. Sanders, LA LINGUA TIBETANA CLASSICA, Hoepli 2016.

Additional readings:
- S. Beyer, THE CLASSICAL TIBETAN LANGUAGE, SUNY 1992.
- M. Hahn, TEXTBOOK OF CLASSICAL LITERARY TIBETAN, 2008.
- P.G. Hackett, A TIBETAN VERB LEXICON: VERBS, CLASSES, AND SYNTACTIC FRAMES, Snow Lion 2005.

Recommended dictionaries:
- H.A. Jaschke, TIBETAN ENGLISH DICTIONARY, Motilal Banarsidass.
- S. Chandra-Das, TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY, Motilal Banarsidass.
- RANJUNG YESHE DHARMA DICTIONARY, available here: http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/Main_Page
- THE TIBETAN AND HIMALAYAN LIBRARY DICTIONARIES, available here: http://www.thlib.org/reference/ (in particular, see THL TIBETAN TO ENGLISH TRANSLATION TOOL)
- TIBETAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY - CHRISTIAN STEINERT, available here: https://dictionary.christian-steinert.de/#home
- TIBETAN-ENGLISH ILLUMINATOR DICTIONARY, available here for purchase: http://www.pktc.org/pktc/tibddiction.htm#ILL

Additional materials (handouts, exercises, textual materials and links for online resources) will be provided by the teacher during the Course.

Students will be invited to actively participate in class and will be involved in reading, analyzing, comprehending and translating complex sentences as well as passages of literature. Their level of comprehension will thus be continuously monitored.
Students will also have to take a final test, in oral form; they will have to analyze short excerpts of texts from the literature. In relation to the selected passages, the following will be assessed: their knowledge of the grammar and syntax; their ability to analyze and translate; their ability to contextualize the sources within the Tibetan literary landscape; and their knowledge of the fundamental vocabulary and conceptual apparatus related to the philosophical-religious literature of Tibetan Buddhism.

Lectures, as well as guided analysis and translation of complex sentences and short excerpts taken from various literary texts.

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Lecture attendance is strongly recommended.

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