BA_04 History of Baltic Languages

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. Mag. Vaidas Šeferis, Dr. phil. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mag. Vaidas Šeferis, Dr. phil.
Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: doc. Mag. Vaidas Šeferis, Dr. phil.
Supplier department: Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 12:00–13:40 B2.22, except Mon 21. 4. to Sun 27. 4.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 61 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course interprets the Baltic languages as a branch of the Indo-European language family. It demonstrates the historical evidence for the various Baltic languages, how the paradigm of these languages has changed over the centuries, under what historical and cultural circumstances the languages have functioned (or disappeared), and under what circumstances they have come to the attention of linguistics.
Learning outcomes
After completing this course students should be able to: -Identify Baltic languages in the typological frame -Explain the linguistic material available for extinct Baltic languages -Describe cultural and social functional basis of recent Baltic languages -Explain basic grammatical features of individual Baltic languages -Explain diachronic development of Baltic languages -Explain main theoretical approaches to the research of Baltic languages
Syllabus
  • The concept of Baltic languages in the context of Indo-European studies, systemic relations of Baltic languages to other Indo-European languages
  • The original range of the Baltic languages
  • Material evidence of extinct Baltic languages
  • First historical references to Baltic tribes
  • Prussian, the nature and content of the earliest monuments
  • Lithuanian from the earliest times to the present
  • Latvian from earliest times to the present
  • Basic dialectological features of the Baltic languages (Latgalian, Zhemaitian)
Literature
    required literature
  • BOJTÁR, Endre. Foreword to the past : a cultural history of the Baltic people. New York: Central European University Press, 1999, viii, 419. ISBN 9639116424. info
  • DINI, Pietro U. Foundations of Baltic languages. Translated by Milda B. Richardson - Robert E. Richardson. Vilnius: Eugrimas, 2014, 725 s. ISBN 9786094372636. info
  • ŠEFERIS, Vaidas a Petra HEBEDOVÁ. „Středověké písemnictví v Pobaltí“. In Jan, Libor; Kostrhun Petr; Nerudová, Zdeňka. Svět tajemných Baltů. The World of the Mysterious Balts, Moravské zemské muzeum, 2013. s. 201-213.
    recommended literature
  • ERHART, Adolf. Baltu valodas. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1984, 199 s. URL info
  • STANG, Chr. S. Vergleichende Grammatik der Baltischen Sprachen. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 1966, viii, 483. info
  • ZINKEVIČIUS, Zigmas. Lietuvių kalbos istorija. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopediju leidykla, 1992, 347 s. info
  • ZINKEVIČIUS, Zigmas. Lietuviu kalbos istorija. Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopediju leidykla, 1994, 394 s. ISBN 5-420-01285-5. info
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
Written examination aimed at testing the student’s insight into the main theories, concepts and methodologies of the discipline, or in the work of the main representatives of the scholarly discourse, and at checking the student’s ability to connect relevant facts into logical relations.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2026.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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