SLAVONIC LINGUISTICS

This course is part of the program for the Linguistic- Philological - Language teaching curriculum. The main objective of the course is to provide metalinguistic knowledge of the grammar of the modern Slavic languages through the analysis of certain aspects of these languages from a comparative perspective also with respect to Italian.

1. Knowledge and comprehension
Know and comprehend the relevant interlinguistic variation in the grammatical systems of the Slavic languages.
Know the properties that characterize the three groups of Slavic languages (East, West and South Slavic) according to diachronic criteria of their formation as genetically related but also independently developed.
Know and comprehend the recent theoretical analyses regarding the internal structure of the Slavic nominal expressions and the various types of sentential constructions from point of view of morphosyntax and information properties.

2. Ability to apply acquired knowledge and comprehension

Students are supposed to develop abilities to apply the principles of linguistic theory (also in a comparative perspective) to the study of the Slavic languages.
Students are supposed to learn what are the analytic instruments of linguistic analysis and how to apply them in argumentation, reflecting on the structure of the Slavic languages and making appropriate use of linguistic terminology.

3. Autonomy of judgement
Be able to construct an argument in favor of a certain hypothesis and provide examples to support or reject a hypothesis.

4. Communicative abilities
Ability to express in written form the linguistic aspects discussed during the course making use of appropriate terminology in linguistic theorizing.

5. Comprehension capacity
Be able to develop a critical way of reasoning.
Be able to search for and obtain adequate bibliographic resources for the purpose of studying a particular linguistic phenomenon.

There are no prerequisites for this course.

The course will deal with various topics of the socio-linguistics, the contact linguistics and the typological grammar of Slavic languages. The main issues concerning the history of contacts in the Slavic area and the different linguistic varieties formed due to bilingualism and multilingualism will be introduced and discussed. The course will propose a typological analysis of some aspects of the grammar of Slavic languages which are at the basis of the definition of Slavdom as a linguistic area in a synchronic and diachronic key: phonological and morphonological mutations; gender and animacy; cases and definiteness; aspect and modality of the verb; word order and informational structure of the sentence; subject-verb agreement. The course will also deal with the basic cocepts of modern linguistic theory relevant to the comparative study of Slavic languages.

Garzaniti, M. Gli Slavi. Storia, culture e lingue dalle origine ai nostri giorni. Carocci editore, 2013.
Comrie B.,G. Stone, D. Short & G. Corbett "Slavonic Languages" in B. Comrie (ed.) The Major Languages of Eastern Europe. Routledge, London 1990, pp. 56-143
Dvornik F. The Slavs: Their early history and civilization. American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Boston 1956
Fici Giusti F. Le lingue slave moderne, Unipress, Padova 2001
Franks S. Parameters of Slavic morphosyntax, Oxford University Press, New York 1995.
Siewierska, A. & L. Uhlirova. "An Overview of Word Order in Slavic Languages." In A. Siewierska (ed.) Constituent Order in the Languages of Europe. Mouton de Gruyter, Berlin / New York, Eurotyp 20.1, 1998, pp. 105-149.
Sussex Roland and Paul Cubberley. The Slavic Languages. Cambridge Language Surveys. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press 2006

Further readings:
Benacchio R., L. Renzi. CLITICI SLAVI E ROMANZI. CLESP, Padova 1987.
Franks S., T.H. King. A HANDBOOK OF SLAVIC CLITICS. Oxford University Press, New York 2000.

The students' progress will be verified with a reasearch paper and the final exam. The exam for this course will be written. The students will have to answer two questions, one of which is of their own choice, while the other is obligatory.

The course will be held in a blended modality whereby a portion of the traiditional face-to-face instruction will be replaced by web-based online learning. The latter will include brief videos and online presentations. A forum will be created for questions and the students will be supplied with supporting materials for self learning (slides, pdf, links, bibliography).
o individuale (ppt slides, pdf, links a materiali esterni, bibliografia).

Italian

Students are requested to frequent the course regularly during the lectures. The students wishing to take the course as non-frequentants are prompted to contact the professor in order to establish the modes of individual work.

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