Comparative Linguistics

Prof. Julia NeeSpring 2014

Universidad LaSalle Oaxaca

Course Overview• Question: Is this class going to be in English, or in Spanish?

– Lectura en español– Classes in English (lo más posible – si hay dudas, podemos clarificar en

español)– Quizzes and Homeworks – You can choose!

• Goal: El propósito de este curso es introducir a los alumnos con los conceptos claves de la lingüística comparada. Vamos a ver:– conceptos básicos de la lingüística teórica en general, con un enfoque en

como estos conceptos se pueden aplicar al campo de lingüística comparada– las relaciones genéticas que tienen las lenguas del mundo; las teorías de

cómo y porque las lenguas cambian– cambios fonéticos, morfológicos, sintácticos, semánticos, y léxicos– los efectos de área, como préstamo; los conceptos de tipología y su

aplicación al campo comparativo

Miss Julia wants to know about you!

1. Where are you from originally? Where did you grow up? How long have you lived in Oaxaca?

2. What languages have you studied? What is your level in each language?

3. Why are you interested in Modern Languages?4. What do you hope to do when you graduate?5. What do you hope to learn from this course?

Requísitos del curso

• Tarea: 30%– Semanal– Se puede trabajar en grupos, pero el trabajo

entregado tiene que ser elaborado individualmente• Participación: 10%– Asistencia: 6 faltas = extraordinario; 12 faltas =

recursamiento– Contribución a la clase de manera productiva; uso

de inglés lo más posible

Requísitos del Curso

• Proyecto: 30%– Trabajar en grupos aplicando la metodología

aprendida a una lengua– Presentar el proyecto a la clase

• Pruebas: 30%– Una prueba cada miércoles que cubre la

información presentada la semana anterior– Respuestas aceptadas en inglés o español

Questions?

• Most important: Ask questions if you are confused!

• My aim: Everyone should try their best!

What is comparative linguistics?

• The study of relationships which exist between genetically related languages (Beekes 2011).

• Subfield of “Historical Linguistics” (the study of how languages change).

• Have you noticed any linguistic changes?– “Vosotros” form– “Spanglish” words and phrases

Don Quixote

SpanishEn un lugar de la Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme, no ha mucho tiempo que vivía un hidalgo de los de lanza en astillero, adarga antigua, rocín flaco, y galgo corredor.

Spanglish (translated by Ilán Stavans)

In un placete de La Mancha of which nombre no quiero remembrearme, vivía, not so long ago, uno de esos gentlemen who always tienen una lanza in the rack, una buckler angiqua, a skinny caballo y un grayhound para el chase.

Discovery of Indo-European

• Sanskrit introduced to Europe• Before, believed the “Tower of Babel” story– All languages had the same source– Probably Hebrew

• Sir William Jones – 1786

Sir William Jones“The Sanskrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful structure; more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both of them a stronger affinity, both in the roots of verbs and in the forms of grammar, than could possibly have been produced by accident; so strong indeed, that no philosopher could examine them all three, without believing them to have sprung from some common source, which, perhaps, no longer exists.”

“La lengua sánscrita, cualquiera que sea su antigüedad, tiene una maravillosa estructura; más perfecta que el griego, más abundante que el latín, y más exquisitamente refinada que cualquier otra, pero manteniendo entre ellas una afinidad más fuerte de la que pudiera posiblemente haberse producide por accidente, tanto en las raíces de los verbos como en las fromas gramaticales; es tan marcado, de hecho, que ningún filólogo podría examinar las tres, sin creer que han surgido de una fuente común, que quizá ya no exista.”

Which languages are related?A B C D E F G H I

Brother Phrater Frater Umbu Bratre Bhrater Hermano

Bruder Broeder

Is Esti Est Ni Yestre Asti Es Ist Is

Mother Meter Mater Mama Mati Matar Madre Mutter Moeder

Sister Eor Soror Umbu Sestra Svasar Hermana Schwester Zuster

Daughter Thugater Futir Mwana Duster Duhitar Hija Tochter Dochter

Me Eme Me Mimi Me Mam Mi Mir Mij

One Oinos Unus Moja Inu Eka Uno Ein Men

Which languages are related?English Greek Latin Swahili Old Slavic Sanskrit

Brother Phrater Frater Umbu Bratre Bhrater

Is Esti Est Ni Yestre Asti

Mother Meter Mater Mama Mati Matar

Sister Eor Soror Umbu Sestra Svasar

Daughter Thugater Futir Mwana Duster Duhitar

Me Eme Me Mimi Me Mam

One Oinos Unus Moja Inu Eka

English Greek Latin Swahili Old Slavic

Sanskrit Spanish German Dutch

Brother Phrater Frater Umbu Bratre Bhrater Hermano

Bruder Broeder

Is Esti Est Ni Yestre Asti Es Ist Is

Mother Meter Mater Mama Mati Matar Madre Mutter Moeder

Sister Eor Soror Umbu Sestra Svasar Hermana Schwester Zuster

Daughter Thugater Futir Mwana Duster Duhitar Hija Tochter Dochter

Me Eme Me Mimi Me Mam Mi Mir Mij

One Oinos Unus Moja Inu Eka Uno Ein Men

Indo-European Family

Language vs. Dialect

• How can we define a language versus a dialect?

• It is completely arbitrary!– Based on socio-political factors– Non-linguistic decision

Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian

• Unified as “Yugoslavia” in 1918 spoke “Serbo-Croatian,” a standardized language that aimed to unify individuals within the state– “Serbs, Croats and Montenegrins share a single

language with two equal variants that have developed around Zagreb and Belgrade.” (1954)

• Broke into separate republics in 1990 (and after) each state developed its own standard

Comparison of the Languages

Croatian• Burza• Porculan• Hrda• Čahura• Hrvač

Serbian• Berza• Porcelan• Rda• Čaura• Rvač

Dialects of English

• Wide variety of English spoken worldwide• No motivation to develop distinct English

“languages”• Differentiation between British and American

English:– Noah Webster wrote the first American Dictionary

to differentiate American and British English– Different spellings

Comparison of English

British• Orthographic Differences

– Programmes– Grey– Organise– Criticise

• Pronunciation Differences– /hænər/– /chant/– /mum/

American• Orthographic Differences

– Programs– Gray– Organize– Criticize

• Pronunciation Differences– /hænuh/– /chænt/– /mam/

African American Vernacular English

• High level of segregation in the United States• “Standard English” is the “prestige dialect”– Taught in schools– Considered to be “correct”

• AAVE is highly regular, but different from Standard English

Comparison of Standard and AAV English

AAVE• You ain’t goin’ to no heaven.• Don’t nobody know.• He be working.• He working.

Standard American English• You aren’t going to heaven.

• Nobody knows.• He is working.• He is working.

What are linguists interested in?

• Language as it is actually used• Not interested in “prescriptive grammar”

(rules we learn in school)• Focused on “descriptive grammar” (what

people actually say)• Use phonetic transcription, rather than

orthography (when possible)