Comparative Linguistics

2024/2025

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

3

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

School of Linguistics

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

1 year, 3 module

Instructor

Starostin, George

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The course gives a brief practical overview of the classical comparative method and explains how it is complemented today by advances in computational phylogenetic studies. It includes both theoretical lectures and elements of practical analysis of linguistic data, with a significant focus on the most cutting-edge and occasionally controversial aspects of the discipline, such as the dating of linguistic divergence and long-range linguistic relationship. Theoretical problems are illustrated using material taken from both familiar language families, such as Indo-European, and those that will be less familiar to students, e.g. language families of Southeast Asia and Africa.