Language Typology (341-0-20)

Instructors

Michael Tabatowski

Meeting Info

Parkes Hall 223: Mon, Wed 2:00PM - 3:20PM

Overview of class

By any metric, thousands of natural languages are used across the globe. But languages don't differ arbitrarily; instead, at each level of analysis, there seem to be a number of identifiable patterns across languages, even across languages unrelated to each other. Linguistic typology is the discipline that systematically compares languages on the basis of their structural features, aiming to classify languages analytically rather than genealogically and to find universal patterns. This course covers typology and linguistic universals at the levels of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, paying special attention to developing students' skills at describing and categorizing the world's varied languages.

Teaching Method

Lecture

Evaluation Method

Attendance, Homework, Midterm Exam, Final Exam

Class Materials (Required)

No textbook. All the course materials will be provided electronically.

Class Notes

None

Class Attributes

Formal Studies Distro Area