Introduction to Linguistics 2

Pat Shaw

Prerequisite: Introduction to Linguistics 1 or an understanding of the concepts covered. Please consult with the instructor if you’d like to register for only this section.

Week 2 further explores relationships between morphological and syntactic systems, as well as their interface with meaning (semantics), and aspects of language use (songs, stories, baby talk, etc.)

Other questions to be discussed include: What is a “polysynthetic” language? What does it mean for different languages to be related to each other, whereas other languages are “genetically distinct”? What is a “dialect”? What kinds of changes in a language can occur over time?

Class participants will build documentation and analytical skills through hands-on experience with data from a diversity of endangered languages around the world. Participants are particularly encouraged to contribute resources and questions from languages they want to learn more about.