Numbering Code	U-LET29 37231 LJ37	Year/Term	2022 ・ Second semester
Number of Credits	2	Course Type	special lecture
Target Year		Target Student
Language	Japanese	Day/Period	Fri.3
Instructor name	SADANOBU TOSHIYUKI (Graduate School of Letters Professor)
Outline and Purpose of the Course	Literary linguistics is a field of study that analyzes language in literary materials. The star of this field is what is called "decipherment," which involves decoding lettering or language systems in literary materials that until now no one has been able to read. The Khitan language was used by the Khitan people, who flourished in northern Eurasia from the 10th to 12th centuries. Studies of literature with Khitan writing are now a rare example of the progress of "decipherment." In this class, we will explain the process for deciphering the Khitan script and language from scratch, showing how far the decipherment of the Khitan language has come. We will also demonstrate decipherment cases from various aspects, such as lettering, phonemes, grammar, and lexicon. Through these case studies, we will learn first-hand the potential of linguistics research under conditions with limited materials.
Course Goals	Through the example of deciphering the Khitan language, students will learn the kinds of approaches that exist in studying literary languages, as well as the different problem points that arise. Additionally, students will acquire the ability to apply this knowledge to languages that have limited materials.
Schedule and Contents	The plan for the course is to lecture on the following topics. 1. Introduction [Weeks 1-2] 　　(Literary Linguistics, Khitan People, Khitan Language, Khitan Writing) 2. Deciphering Khitan Writing [Weeks 3-5] 　　(Development and Issues in Deciphering Khitan Small Script in Previous Studies, Phonetic Representation Principles in Khitan Small Script, Theoretical Characteristics of Small Script) 3. Deciphering Khitan Phonemes [Weeks 6-7] 　　(System of Segmental Phonemes and Comparative Linguistics Characteristics, Prosodic Characteristics) 4. Deciphering Khitan Grammar [Weeks 8-11] 　　(Grammar Categories and Agreement of Noun Types, Form and Function of Prefixes and Suffixes, Form and Function of Verb-Conjugating Prefixes and Suffixes, Form and Function of Verb Stem Expansion Prefixes and Suffixes) 5. Deciphering Khitan Lexicon [Weeks 12-13] 6. Summary: The Present Stage of Khitan Deciphering [Week 14] 7. Feedback [Week 15]
Evaluation Methods and Policy	Class participation (30%) and final report (70%).
Course Requirements	Preferable to have some knowledge of introductory linguistics.
Study outside of Class (preparation and review)	Be interested in materials on languages with few material documents and descriptions, not only on Khitan materials; think of methods for reading and understanding those languages and materials.
Textbooks	Textbooks/References	None; printouts will be distributed.
References, etc.	Will be presented in class