Linguistics Courses

Program | Faculty | Doctoral | Courses

All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

601 Intensive Introduction to Transformational Grammar

Intensive introduction to the concepts of transformational grammar. Survey in depth of problems and methods of research, with emphasis on different types of linguistic evidence and argument. Credit, 4.

603 Generative Phonology

Introduction to generative phonology primarily for graduate students in linguistics. Formalism developed and justified in response to increasingly complex sets of data. Credit, 4.

604 Syntactic Theory

Advanced survey of problems in syntax of natural language encountered in attempting to characterize formally the notion of "grammar of a natural language." Prerequisite: LINGUIST 601.

605 Language Change and Language Typology

An introduction to the study of language change and language variability and their relationships to general linguistic theory. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 601, 603.

606 Phonological Theory

Investigation of issues in current generative phonological theory. Construction of theoretical arguments using original evidence. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 603.

610 Semantics and Generative Grammar

Comprehensive survey of semantic problems in transformational-generative linguistics. Credit, 4.

611 Psychological Background to Linguistic Theory

Background psychological and biological assumptions made in linguistic theory and the abstract models they involve. Problems of learnability and parsability are primary topics. Structure and relevance of experimental approaches to these questions.

614 Introduction to Phonetic Theory

Introduction to the theory and practice of phonetics research, with emphasis on the relationships of phonetics to phonology. Extensive work in the phonetics laboratory. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 603 or consent of instructor.

620 Formal Semantics

An introduction to typed and intentional languages and their applications in linguistics. Topics include: the semantics of tense and modality, propositional attitudes, indexicality, quantification, recent developments in categorial grammar. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 610 (formerly 710).

702 Introduction to the Study of an Unfamiliar Language

Investigation, with the aid of an informant, of the structure of an unfamiliar language and of specific analytical problems it presents. Relevance of these in universal grammar. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 601.

705 Diachronic Linguistics

Topics from traditional historical linguistics from standpoint of transformational generative grammar: language change, relative chronology of sound changes, comparative method, internal reconstruction, and linguistic universals. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 601.

707 Universal Grammar

Universal principles of natural language. Universal hypotheses made to date in development of linguistic theory. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 601, 604.

708 Structure of English

Intermediate-level survey of problems in English syntax; follows directly from LINGUIST 601. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 601.

711 Psycholinguistics: Language Acquisition

Theoretical foundations and methodology of the study of child language. Relationship between language acquisition, study of universal grammar, and theoretical psychology. Experimental term project customary. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 601.

712 Psycholinguistics: The Perception of Linguistic Form

Introduction to psycholinguistics concentrating on the perception of linguistic form and the comprehension of discourse. Mental representation of grammar, psychological reality of linguistic models, empirically-motivated processing models. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 601.

713 Linguistics and Literature

Application of modern linguistics to literary analysis. Meter, style, and explication of text on the basis of linguistic criteria.

715 Theory of Grammar

Survey and comparison of language. Structural linguistics, stratificational grammar, scale-and-category grammar, transformational-generative grammar. The nature of linguistic evidence. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 601 or consent of instructor.

716 Topics in Phonetics

Geographical and cultural variations within a language; mapping of dialects. Analysis and interpretation of dialect materials.

720 Proseminar on Semantic Theory

A bridge between the introductory courses 610 and 620 and more advanced seminars. Content variable from year to year. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 610 and 620 or consent of instructor.

726 Mathematical Linguistics

Topics relating to mathematics, logic, computer science and linguistic theory. Typical topics: grammars and automata, formal models of transformational grammar, syntax-directed compilers. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 409, MATH 200, or CMPSCI 201.

730 Proseminar on Phonological Theory

A continuation of LINGUIST 606, with emphasis on developing the ability to conduct original research in phonology. Material complements that of the prerequisites. Typical areas include formal morphology (con-catenative and non-concatenative), Lexical Phonology and lexical phonology, syntax-phonology interactions, and the connections between phonology and phonetic implementation. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 603, 606.

740-748 Structure of Language Courses

Phonology and syntax of a language other than English. Emphasis on the application of current linguistic theory to analytical problems presented by that language and the testing of current theoretical hypotheses by reference to those problems. An informant generally used. Within each of these courses, languages vary from year to year; any of them may be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 601, 603.

740 Structure of an African Language

741 Structure of an American Indian Language

742 Structure of an Indo-European Language

743 Structure of a Malayo-Polynesian Language

744 Structure of a Finno-Ugric Language

745 Structure of a Near Eastern Language

746 Structure of an Oriental Language

747 Structure of a South East Asian Language

748 Structure of a Non-Indo-European Language

750 Proseminar in Syntax

Treatment in depth of a selected area of linguistic theory, with emphasis on developing students' ability to conduct research in syntactic theory. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 604.

751 Topics in Phonology

Advanced, intensive work on specific phonological problems, or on the phonology of a single language or small group of languages. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 603, 606.

752 Topics in Syntax

Advanced, intensive work on specific topics in syntax. Topic varies. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 604.

753 Topics in Semantics

Intensive investigation of topics in semantics. Topic varies. Prerequisite: LINGUIST 710.

754 Topics in Diachronic Linguistics

Advanced seminar, mainly for those students who wish to specialize in language change. Investigation of the empirical claims made by current transformational theory in regard to language change. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 603, 605.

790 Seminar

Current research topics and literature.

810 Research Tutorial: Syntax

Intensive investigation of a previously unexplored topic in syntax under close faculty supervision. Topic varies.

820 Developments in Laboratory Phonology

Focuses on the use of laboratory methods to investigate phonological questions. A different set of phenomena is explored each time. Meets alternate years. Prerequisites: LINGUIST 603 and 606, and 614 or consent of instructor.

899 Doctoral Dissertation

Credit, 18.