OVERVIEW

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.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

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.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The basic aim of the course is to provide students with the main principles of general linguistics and the theoretical and technical knowledge required for the different levels of linguistic analysis

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

•     reflect on the nature of the linguistic sign and identify the basic elements of the structure of a language, the main properties of natural language and the main typological tendencies of languages;
•     analyse the structure of words, sentences, utterances and interactions at the phonetic and phonological, morphological, morphosyntactic, syntactic, lexical and semantic, pragmatic and information-structural levels;
•     recognise the main dimensions of structural variation and social variability in natural languages;
•     apply the basic principles of historical linguistics and the historical-comparative method; know how to analyse and correctly interpret specific cases of phonetic, phonological, morphological and syntactic change.

Following the 9 cfu course, students will also be able to:

• recognise the most relevant structural aspects that characterise the evolution from Latin to Romance languages;
• recognise the main features of Ligurian dialects.

Following the 12 cfu course, students will also be able to:

• describe dialectal variation by interpreting written and oral sources.

PREREQUISITES

The course does not require specific prerequisites.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

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).
• Morphosyntax: inflectional classes; gender; agreement.
• Syntax: valency; types of phrases; analysis of sentences into immediate constituents; constituent order; representation of sentence syntactic structure using tree diagrams; transformation rules.
• Lexicon and semantics: meaning and reference; analysis of meaning into semantic features; lexical relations; mental lexicon; dictionaries; lexical stratification; special languages.
• Pragmatics and information structure: implications and presuppositions; presupposition and assertion; given/new and theme/rema; speech acts and conversational maxims.
• 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.

9 CFU (in addition to the above topics):

• Foundations of Romance Linguistics: the historical-comparative method applied to Romance languages; the Latin-Romance transition; typology and classification of Romance languages.
• Ligurian dialects: the main features of Ligurian dialects.

12 CFU (in addition to the above topics):

DIALECTAL VARIATION IN WRITTEN AND ORAL SOURCES

• Written sources: popular literature and imitation.
• Oral archives: between memory and context.
• Investigation essay: transcription and analysis of a source.

Non-attending students will replace this section with the following thematic core:

DIALECTOLOGY: METHODS AND PROBLEMS

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

ATTENDING STUDENTS

6 CFU 

• Berruto, G., Cerruti, M., Linguistica. Un corso introduttivo, UTET, Torino.
• De Saussure, F., Corso di linguistica generale, Roma-Bari, Laterza (any edition).
• Additionally, the materials provided and uploaded to AulaWeb.

9 CFU

• The aforementioned texts, as well as:
• A script on Romance and Ligurian linguistics, which will be uploaded to AulaWeb.

12 CFU

• The aforementioned texts, as well as:
• Some short essays (max. 50 pages in total), which will be specified in class
• An exercise in analysing an oral archive source, to be carried out in class.

NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

For students sitting the 6-credit and 9-credit exams, the syllabus is the same as that for attending students.

Non-attending students sitting the 12-credit exam will replace the short essays and the exercise with a selection of chapters (which will be specified during the course and uploaded on AulaWeb) of:

• Chambers, J., Trudgill, P., Dialectology, Cambridge University Press.

Non-attending students are kindly requested to contact the teacher (who is also available for online group office hours, see office hours) at least two months before the scheduled examination date.

Additional in-depth readings (not mandatory for exam preparation) and materials for exercises will be indicated during the lessons and on AulaWeb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First semester: The week commencing 28th September 2026, according to the schedule.

Second semester: The week commencing 22nd February 2027, according to the schedule.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam worth 6 CFU consists of an oral test.

The 12 CFU examination consists of an oral test. Both attending and non-attending students can take an intermediate oral test on the first-semester programme in December 2026, January 2027, and February 2027. This test is optional; otherwise, all students can sit the full examination starting from the Summer 2027 session.

Erasmus students not proficient in Italian may request a substitutive bibliography, and take the examination in English, French or German.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination will assess the student's knowledge of the general linguistic topics covered during the course and acquired through individual study of the texts listed in the examination bibliography. In particular, starting from the analysis of a complex sentence, the ability to classify and analyse forms at the phonetic/phonological, morphological, morphosyntactic, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic levels and to identify their lines of change and variation will be assessed.

In the case of 9 cfu or 12 cfu examination, the ability to outline the main characteristics of the transition from Latin to Romance languages, of Italo-Romance dialects in the Romance landscape and of Ligurian dialects in the Italo-Romance landscape will also be assessed; in the case of 12 cfu examination, particular regard will be paid to the issues presented during the final part of the course.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with disabilities or specific learning difficulties (SLD) can find guidance on how to apply for services, compensatory tools or special arrangements, and specific aids in the document available at the following link: https://unige.it/disabilita-dsa/modulistica