PLDS11 Typology of Languages

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2015
Extent and Intensity
0/0. 10 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. RNDr. Václav Blažek, CSc. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. RNDr. Václav Blažek, CSc.
Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
Nothing specific.
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 6 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course informs about the basic strategies in classification of languages: typological, areal and genetic. On the basis of the genetic classification the survey of all language families or higher taxonomical units is presented, including the alternative models.
Syllabus
  • 1. Typological, areal and genetic classification of languages: differences in purposes. 2. Genetic clasification of languages, its principles and methods (qualitative vs. quantitative). 3. Models konvergence vs. divergence a jazyková příbuznost. 4. Survey of the standard language families and hypothetical higher taxonomic units: 4.1. Khoisan. 4.2. Kongo-Saharan. 4.3. Nostratic. 4.4. Dené-Sino-Caucasian. 4.5. Amerindian. 4.6. Austric. 4.7. Australian. 4.8. Indo-Pacific.
Literature
  • ERHART, Adolf. Základy jazykovědy. 2. upr. vyd. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1990, 198 s. ISBN 8004246125. info
  • HJELMSLEV, Louis. Jazyk. Translated by Miloš Dokulil. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 1971, 145 s. URL info
  • KRUPA, Viktor, Jozef GENZOR and Ladislav DROZDÍK. Jazyky sveta. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Obzor, 1983, 507 s. info
  • MEIER, Georg Friedrich and Barbara MEIER. Handbuch der Linguistik und Kommunikationswissenschaft. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1979, xiv, 552. info
  • GREENBERG, Joseph H. Language, culture, and communication : essays. Edited by Anwar S. Dil. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1971, xiv, 367. ISBN 0804707812. info
  • GREENBERG, Joseph H. Language universals : with special reference to feature hierarchies. The Hague: Mouton, 1966, 89 p. info
Teaching methods
Individual study of recommended literature, plus sources for elaboration of grammatical description of five chosen languages representing various language structures.
Assessment methods
At least 50% in the final test is necessary for Bc.+Ms. students. The doctorands have to describe the grammatical structure of 5 languages according to their choice.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2006, Spring 2007, Autumn 2007, Spring 2008, Autumn 2008, Spring 2009, Autumn 2009, Spring 2010, Autumn 2010, Spring 2011, Autumn 2011, Spring 2012, Autumn 2012, Spring 2013, Autumn 2013, Spring 2014, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Spring 2016, Autumn 2016, Spring 2017, Autumn 2017, Spring 2018, Autumn 2018, Spring 2019, Autumn 2019, Spring 2020, Autumn 2020, Spring 2021, Autumn 2021, Spring 2022.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2015/PLDS11