The course in General Linguistics provides an introduction to the theoretical and methodological foundations of the scientific study of languages and language. The teaching focuses on the following topics: the fundamental properties of human language; the main levels of linguistic analysis (phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics); the criteria for the classification of natural languages based on genealogical and typological bases; the dimensions of linguistic variation; the study of Italian dialects within the Romance linguistic framework.
The course intends to provide the most important theoretical and practical tools that are necessary for a linguistic analysis of words, utterances and verbal interactions in Italian and the main European languages. Particular attention is paid to phonetics and phonology, morphology and word formation processes, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, typology and (historic and contemporary) language variation.
The fundamental purpose of the course is to provide students with the main principles of general linguistics and the theoretical and technical knowledge necessary for linguistic analysis at different levels.
At the end of the course, students should:
The course does not require specific prerequisites.
6 CFU
Language and languages: the nature of linguistic signs; the fundamental properties of human verbal language; the origin of language; structuralism and generativism.
Linguistic typology: genealogical classification of European and world language families; morphological and syntactic typology; linguistic universals.
Phonetics and phonology: the vocal apparatus; phonemes, allophones, and phonemes of Italian; phonetic/phonological transcription; minimal pairs; major phonological phenomena; syllables; suprasegmental features.
Morphology: types of morphemes; decomposition of words into morphemes; morphological processes (inflection, derivation, composition, and other processes).
Syntax: valency; types of phrases; analysis of sentences into immediate constituents; representation of sentence syntactic structure using tree diagrams; inflectional categories; generative rules.
Lexicon and lexicology: mental lexicon; dictionaries; lexical stratification; special languages.
Semantics (and pragmatics): sense and reference; analysis of meaning in semantic features; lexical relations; tautologies, contradictions, implications, and presuppositions; the theory of speech acts.
Sociolinguistics and synchronic variation: the main dimensions of variation in natural languages (diastratic, diafasic, diatopic, diamesic); language, society, and identity.
Diachronic variation: linguistic reconstruction and Indo-European; phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic changes; major mechanisms of linguistic change; grammaticalization and reanalysis.
12 CFU (in addition to the above topics):
Dialectology and linguistic geography: standard language and dialects; dialects in Italy; bilingualism and diglossia; pidgin languages and creole languages.
Foundations of Romance linguistics: the historical-comparative method applied to Romance languages; the Latin-Romance transition; typology and classification of Romance languages.
Italian dialects: overview of Italian dialects; classification criteria and isoglosses; major structural traits.
LIGURIAN DIALECTS
Linguistic history of Liguria: Ligurian varieties; the expansion of Genoese; the relationship with Italian; the dialect today.
Focus on the historical grammar of Ligurian dialects: diachronic phonology; diachronic morphology; elements of syntax.
Characteristics of Ligurian dialects: word structure and vowel and consonant quantity; verbal morphology.
ATTENDING STUDENTS
12 CFU
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
• As the attending students
• The bibliography for the 6 CFU course, and also:
• Toso, F. (1995), Storia linguistica della Liguria, vol. 1, Dalle origini al 1528, Le Mani, Genova.
• Materials uploaded on AulaWeb.
Additional in-depth readings (not mandatory for exam preparation) and materials for exercises will be indicated during the lessons and on AulaWeb.
Ricevimento: The office hours will be communicated at the beginning of the lessons. Until then, the office hours will be held by appointment, to be arranged via email (irene.defelice@edu.unige.it).
LORENZO FILIPPONIO (President)
ROSA RONZITTI
IRENE DE FELICE (President Substitute)
GUIDO GIOVANNI BORGHI (Substitute)
SIMONE TURCO (Substitute)
03/10/2023
GENERAL LINGUISTICS
The exam worth 6 CFU consists of an oral test.
The exam worth 12 CFU consists of an oral test.
The exam will assess the students' theoretical knowledge of various topics in general linguistics covered during the course, derived from their individual study of the texts indicated in the exam bibliography, as well as their ability to classify and analyze forms at the phonological, morphological, syntactic, and semantic levels.
