Course for international guest/part time students
- Faculty
- Faculty of Humanities
- Organization
- BTK Department of English Linguistics
- Code
- BMI-ANGD17-CNy13bE.01
- Title
- Etymology - Theory and Analysis: CV Phonology and Historical Linguistics
- Usual semester
- Spring
- Published semester
- 2025/26/2
- ECTS
- 6
- Language
- en
- Learning outcomes
- This is a highly technical course aimed at those who are familiar with standard generative phonology and the basic principles of standard phonological analysis. CV phonology (sometimes also called radical CV phonology) treats all languages as underlingly identical: all phonological strings are composed of strictly alternating CV units with C standing for consonant and V for vowel (thus English family and pant are both composed of 3 CV units, so is Croatian Krk). This approach to phonological structure obliterates the need for syllables (there aro no onsets, no codas, no rhymes, no branching, all structure is flat). The course will develop students' competence in understanding the essentials of theoretical analysis centring on underlying phonological structure of languages. The practical tasks involving linguistic comparison will develop students' skills of critical thinking, data analysis and setting up an informed view of phonological mechanisms.
- Course content
- The course attempts to redraw the map of phonological structure drawing on data from both synchronic and historical linguistics: all processes known to be amenable to explanations resting on syllable structure (closed syllable shortening, open syllable lengthening, stress assignment, deletion of consonants in coda position, etc.) will receive an alternative explanation based strictly on CV units. The course also touches upon the notion of emptiness (empty C and empty V positions), the beginning of the word, the notion of weak vs strong position (and related to it, the notion of lenition and fortition). The two novel notions used in the description of (all) phonological processes is licensing and government (as well as the absence of these forces). The course will contribute to the understanding of how modern phonological theories handle linguistic data and diversity.
- Assessment method
- The grade will be based on two tests (end- and mid-term test) and a longer essay-type assignment based on some of the problems raised during the term.
- Bibliography
- Selected chapters from the only existing 'compendium' on CV phonology, by Scheer, Tobias (2004), A Lateral Theory of Phonology, What is CVCV, and why should it be? (Studies in Generative Grammar 68.1), Mouton de Gruyter.