7231005Linguistics (Special Lectures)

Numbering Code G-LET29 67231 LJ37 Year/Term 2022 ・ Second semester
Number of Credits 2 Course Type special lecture
Target Year Target Student
Language Japanese Day/Period Fri.1
Instructor name NOHARA MASAKI (Institute for Research in Humanities Associate Professor)
Outline and Purpose of the Course The Tibeto-Burman languages represent one large language group that is dispersed broadly throughout the regions of China, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. In this course, we will learn about the various features and linguistic issues seen in Tibeto-Burman languages through specific linguistic facts. The particular focus will be on case studies of the lecturer's specialization regarding the group of languages called Luish. This year, the plan is to give an outline of phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, historical linguistics, and writing systems.
Course Goals The objectives of this class are to grasp the characteristics of Tibeto-Burman languages and to be able to explain the commonalities and differences between these languages and your own native language, languages you specialize in, or other languages you are interested in.
Schedule and Contents 1: Distribution and Lineage of Tibeto-Burman Languages
2: Speech in Tibeto-Burman Languages (1) (Segmental Phonemes)
3: Speech in Tibeto-Burman Languages (2) (Suprasegmental Phonemes)
4: Morphology of Tibeto-Burman Languages (1) (Part-of-Speech Classification)
5: Morphology of Tibeto-Burman Languages (2) (Word Formation)
6~10: Syntax of Tibeto-Burman Languages (Basic Vocabulary Order, Verbal and Nominal Phrases, Negation, Doubt, Voice, Causative, Passive, Middle, Application, Noun Modifying Expressions, "Internal" vs. "External," Complex Sentences, Conditional Statements, Evidentiality, Correlative Phrases, Connective Emphasis, Inverse)
8~10: Semantics of Tibeto-Burman Languages (Regional Semantics, Body Part and Psychology Verbs, Plant and Animal Lexicon, Right and Left, Color Lexicon)
11~12: Historical Linguistics of Tibeto-Burman Languages (Main Phonetic Changes, Characteristic Phonetic Changes, Borrowing)
14: Writing of Tibeto-Burman Languages
15: Summary
Evaluation Methods and Policy Assessment based on class participation (50%) and reports (50%). Class participation will be assessed based on the level of participation in each class session. High marks will be given to reports on topics related to class content that are well-organized (how well a topic related to class content has been explained) and format (report style, use of citations, format of works cited).
Course Requirements None
Study outside of Class (preparation and review) Please read the books and articles introduced in class according to your interests and concerns.
Textbooks Textbooks/References None; printouts will be distributed as appropriate.
References, etc. Will be presented in class, Graham Thurgood and Randy J. LaPolla eds. 2017. The Sino-Tibetan Languages, Second edition. London and New York: Routledge.
Randy J. LaPolla ed. 2018. Sino-Tibetan Linguistics. London and New York: Routledge.
George van Driem. 2001. Languages of the Himalayas: an ethnolinguistic handbook of the greater Himalayan region. Leiden: Brill
Paul K. Benedict. 1972. Sino-Tibetan: a conspectus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
James A. Matisoff. 2003. Handbook of Proto-Tibeto-Burman: system and philosophy of Sino-Tibetan reconstruction. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Related URL http://stedt.berkeley.edu/~stedt-cgi/rootcanal.pl (Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus)
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