Comparative Studies
The Slavonic Languages
Course taught by, Ms. Mirjam Zumstein
There are two approaches to the study of the history of a language. One can analyse the internal changes of the language system or the external socio-cultural factors which determine the functioning of language in society. In this paper we will take account of both approaches. We will analyse the sound and grammatical structure—the phonology and morphology—of the oldest Slavonic literary language (Old Church Slavonic) and read texts written in this language. We will trace the development of the Slavonic languages from Common Slavonic, including the development of lesser-used Slavonic languages. We will also address the historical, political and socio-cultural factors that have affected the development of the Slavonic languages.
Lectures and supervisions in this course form an integrated package which will give you a thorough grounding in the subject and prepare you for the examination. This means that you cannot make a success of this course by concentrating just on supervisions: regular attendance at lectures is vital.
Eligibility:
This paper is open to part II MML students and part IIA and part IIB linguistics students. The paper assumes a reasonably high level of proficiency in at least one Slavonic language, e.g. the equivalent of at least two years of Russian in the Department of Slavonic Languages. In the past, students with knowledge of a Slavonic language other than Russian have typically been native speakers of the language in question, or have spent time living in a Slavonic speaking country and therefore have near native ability. Sufficient background in a Slavonic language is necessary in particular for the Old Church Slavonic component of the paper.
Objectives:
By the end of this course you should be able to:
- read texts in Old Church Slavonic;
- discuss the significance of a wide variety of forms found in Old Church Slavonic in terms of the historical development of the Slavonic languages;
- compare and contrast a number of Slavonic languages in terms of their phonetic, phonological, and morphological structure;
- discuss the most significant phonological and morphological developments in a number of Slavonic languages;
- analyse sets of related words in a number of Slavonic languages from a historical perspective;
- discuss some of the most significant historical, political and socio-cultural factors that have played a role in the history of a number of Slavonic languages.
Assessment:
This paper is for part II students only. The paper is divided into two sections, containing in total roughly twelve questions. All candidates must answer three questions: one question from Section A (linguistic textual analysis) and two questions from Section B.
Resources:
For further information about this paper, please contact Ms. Mirjam Zumstein
