* LING 0110b, From Evidence to Court to The Constitution: Language and the Law  Claire Bowern

Laws are made through language, interpreted through language, and made about language. This class is an overview of legal aspects of language, the use of linguistic arguments in court cases, as well as other areas where linguistics meets the law. Through the study of language structure (sounds, words, and meaning), students gain an appreciation of the role of language in the law and in society, social justice issues around language, linguistic discrimination in legal contexts, and current and historical legislative debates around language use. Enrollment limited to first-year students.  HU, SO
TTh 9am-10:15am

* LING 0330a / ENGL 0133a, Words, Words, Words: The Structure and History of English Words  Peter Grund

Meggings. Perpendicular. Up. Ain’t. Eerily. Bae. The. These are all words in the English language, but, like all words, they have different meanings, functions, and social purposes; indeed, the meaning and function may be different for the same word depending on the context in which we use it (whether spoken or written). In this course, we explore the wonderful world of words. We look at how we create new words (and why), how we change the meaning of words, and how words have been lost (and revived) over time. As we do so, we look at debates over words and their meanings now (such as the feeling by some that ain’t is not a word at all) and historically (such as the distaste for subpeditals for ‘shoes’ in the sixteenth century), and how words can be manipulated to insult, hurt, and discriminate against others. We look at a wide range of texts by well-known authors (such as Shakespeare) as well as anonymous online bloggers, and we make use of online tools like the Google Ngram viewer and the Corpus of Historical American English to see how words change over time. At the end of the course, I hope you see how we make sophisticated use of words and how studying them opens up new ways for you to understand why other people use words the way they do and how you can use words for various purposes in your own speech and writing. Enrollment limited to first-year students.  HU
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

* LING 1070a / ER&M 1670a, Language Endangerment and Revitalization  Edwin Ko

Introduction to language endangerment and language revitalization. This course explores a range of theories and practices that provide the basis by which linguists and language activists aim to revitalize endangered languages in communities around the world. Beginning with surveying the various ways in which the world’s linguistic diversity and language ecologies can be assessed and discussing the serious threats to that diversity, why this might be a matter of concern, and the principle of linguistic human rights, the course will narrow toward individual student projects to investigate a minority language in some depth and report on its status with respect to the range of issues discussed in class.  WR, SO
TTh 1pm-2:15pm

LING 1100a, Language: Introduction to Linguistics  Claire Bowern

This is a course about language as a window into the human mind and language as glue in human society. Nature, nurture, or both? Linguistics is a science that addresses this puzzle for human language. Language is one of the most complex of human behaviors, but it comes to us without effort. Language is common to all societies and is typically acquired without explicit instruction. Human languages vary within highly specific parameters. The conventions of speech communities exhibit variation and change over time within the confines of universal grammar, part of our biological endowment. The properties of universal grammar are discovered through the careful study of the structures of individual languages and comparison across languages. This course introduces analytical methods that are used to understand this fundamental aspect of human knowledge. In this introductory course students learn about the principles that underly all human languages, and what makes language special. We study language sounds, how words are formed, how humans compute meaning, as well as language in society, language change, and linguistic diversity.  SO  0 Course cr
TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

* LING 1150a / SKRT 1100a, Introductory Sanskrit I  Aleksandar Uskokov

An introduction to Sanskrit language and grammar. Focus on learning to read and translate basic Sanskrit sentences in Devanagari script. No prior background in Sanskrit assumed.  L1  1½ Course cr
MTWThF 11:35am-12:25pm

LING 1160b / CGSC 2160b / CGSC 216b and CGSC 2160b / PSYC 116b / PSYC 1316b, Cognitive Science of Language  Athulya Aravind

The study of language from the perspective of cognitive science. Exploration of mental structures that underlie the human ability to learn and process language, drawing on studies of normal and atypical language development and processing, brain imaging, neuropsychology, and computational modeling. Innate linguistic structure vs. determination by experience and culture; the relation between linguistic and nonlinguistic cognition in the domains of decision making, social cognition, and musical cognition; the degree to which language shapes perceptions of color, number, space, and gender.  SO
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

LING 1179a / EDST 1237a / PSYC 3317a, Language and Mind  Maria Pinango

The structure of linguistic knowledge and how it is used during communication. The principles that guide the acquisition of this system by children learning their first language, by children learning language in unusual circumstances (heritage speakers, sign languages) and adults learning a second language, bilingual speakers. The processing of language in real-time. Psychological traits that impact language learning and language use.   SO  RP  0 Course cr
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

LING 1310b, Languages of Africa  Staff

Introduction to the almost 2000 languages of the African continent; phonology (sound systems), grammar and syntax, lexicon (words and word structure), semantics (word meanings); linguistic diversity and culture; language endangerment and planning, writing systems, and resources in natural language processing  SO
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm

LING 1380a / SKRT 1300a, Intermediate Sanskrit I  Aleksandar Uskokov

The first half of a two-term sequence aimed at helping students develop the skills necessary to read texts written in Sanskrit. Readings include selections from the Hitopadesa, Kathasaritsagara, Mahabharata, and Bhagavadgita. After SKRT 120 or equivalent.  L3
MWF 10:30am-11:20am

LING 1460b / PSYC 3129b / WGSS 1145b, Language and Gender  Natalie Weber

An introduction to linguistics through the lens of gender. Topics include: gender as constructed through language; language variation as conditioned by gender and sexuality within and between languages across the world; real and perceived differences between male and female speech; language and (non)binarity; gender and noun class systems in language; pronouns and identity; role of language in encoding, reflecting, or reinforcing social attitudes and behavior. This course was previously offered as PSCY 329.  SO
MW 1pm-2:15pm

* LING 1500a / ENGL 3501a, Old English  Emily Thornbury

An introduction to the language, literature, and culture of earliest England. A selection of both major and less-studied works of prose and verse, including charms, saints' lives, meditations on loss, a dream vision, and heroic verse, which are read in the original Old English. No prior knowledge of Old English is expected.  WR, HU
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

* LING 1650b / HEBR 1690b / JDST 4203 / MMES 1162b, Languages in Dialogue: Hebrew and Arabic  Dina Roginsky

Hebrew and Arabic are closely related as sister Semitic languages. They have a great degree of grammatical, morphological, and lexical similarity. Historically, Arabic and Hebrew have been in cultural contact in various places and in different aspects. This advanced Hebrew language class explores linguistic similarities between the two languages as well as cultural comparisons of the communities, built on mutual respect. Students benefit from a section in which they gain a basic exposure to Arabic, based on its linguistic similarity to Hebrew. Conducted in Hebrew. Prerequisite: HEBR 1400, or placement test, or permission of the instructor.  L5, HU  RP
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

* LING 1910a / GMAN 3100a, “Sprachkrise”—Philosophies & Language Crises  Sophie Schweiger

The crisis of language predates the invention of ChatGPT (who may or may not have helped write this syllabus). This course delves into the concept of language crises and its long history from a philosophical and literary perspective, examining how crises of language are represented in literature and how they reflect broader philosophical questions about language, identity, and power. We explore different philosophical approaches to language, such as the history of language and philology (Herder, Humboldt, Nietzsche), structuralism and post-structuralism (Saussure), analytical and pragmatic philosophies (Wittgenstein), phenomenology and deconstruction (Heidegger), and analyze how these theories shape our understanding of language while simultaneously evoking its crisis. The course also examines how such language crises are represented and produced in literature and the arts; how authors and artists approach the complexities of language loss, and how crises help birth alternative systems of signification. Through close readings of literary texts by Hofmannsthal, Musil, Bachmann, et. al., we analyze the symbolic and metaphorical significance of language crises, as well as the ethical and political implications of language loss for (cultural) identity. Experimental use of language such as DaDa artwork, performance cultures, and “Sprachspiel” poetry by the “Wiener Gruppe,” as well as contemporary KI/AI literature, further complement the theoretical readings. By exploring language crises through the lens of philosophy and literature, we gain a deeper understanding of the role of language—and its many crises—in shaping our understanding of ourselves and our communities.  HU
T 1:30pm-3:20pm

LING 2030b / AFST 203b / ENGL 2003b, English in Post-Colonial Africa and the African Diaspora  Staff

This course explores the importance of the English language in Post-colonial Africa. By examining the historical, socio-political, and cultural contexts that have influenced the evolution and adaptation of the English language, students will acquire insights into the linguistic diversity found in post-colonial Africa and its practical implications. The course explores the relationship between English and indigenous languages, focusing on their continuing influence in education, governance, literature, and identity formation. We also look at the linguistic structure of African American Vernacular English and explore possible connections to the languages of Africa and English-based creoles such as Gullah, spoken in the Caribbean and off the South Carolina coast.  HU, SO
MW 1pm-2:15pm

* LING 2120b, Historical Linguistics I  Claire Bowern

How languages change, how we study change, and how language relates to other areas of society. This seminar is taught through readings chosen by instructor and students, on topics of interest. Prerequisite: LING 112 or equivalent.  WR, SO
TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

LING 2190b / ANTH 3880b, Introduction to Linguistic Phylogenetics  Edwin Ko

The goal of linguistic phylogenetics is to establish the relationships among the world’s languages. This course surveys the history of linguistic phylogenetics that has employed quantitative and computational methods in the past century. Another goal of the course is to provide students with an overview of more recent computational methods originally developed for studying evolutionary biology but extended and adapted for use in studying linguistic change.  WR, SO  0 Course cr
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

LING 2200a / PSYC 3318a, Phonetics I  Jason Shaw

Each spoken language composes words using a relatively small number of speech sounds, a subset of the much larger set of possible human speech sounds. This course introduces tools to describe the complete set of speech sounds found in the world's spoken languages. It covers the articulatory organs involved in speech production and the acoustic structure of the resulting sounds. Students learn how to transcribe sounds using the International Phonetic Alphabet, including different varieties of English and languages around the world. The course also introduces sociophonetics, how variation in sound patterns can convey social meaning within a community, speech perception, and sound change.   SO  0 Course cr
MW 1pm-2:15pm

LING 2249b, Mathematics of Language  Robert Frank

Study of formal systems that play an important role in the scientific study of language. Exploration of a range of mathematical structures and techniques; demonstrations of their application in theories of grammatical competence and performance including set theory, graphs and discrete structures, algebras, formal language, and automata theory. Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of existing formal theories of linguistic knowledge.  QR, SO  0 Course cr
MW 1pm-2:15pm

LING 2270a / PSYC 3327a, Language and Computation I  Staff

This course introduces the design and analysis of computational models of language. There are many properties of language that make it challenging to handle computationally: First, language is ambiguous - a given word or sentence can have many possible meanings. Second, our linguistic experience is sparse - many aspects of language (e.g., certain sentence structures) occur very rarely, posing a challenge for computational systems that learn from data. Third, language has an enormous amount of hidden structure - words and other linguistic units can have complex relationships with each other that are not apparent on the surface. In this course, we explore the computational approaches that can overcome these challenges. Topics include finite state tools, neural networks, Bayesian approaches, computational morphology and phonology, grammar and parsing, lexical semantics, and the use of linguistic models in applied problems. Prerequisite: prior programming experience or permission of instructor.  QR, SO
TTh 9am-10:15am

* LING 2320b, Phonology I  Natalie Weber

Why do languages sound distinct from one another? Partly it is because different languages use different sets of sounds (in spoken languages) or signs (in signed languages) from one another. But it is also because those sounds and signs have different distributional patterns in each language. Phonology is the study of the systematic organization and patterning of sounds and signs. Students learn to describe the production of sounds and signs (articulatory phonetics), discuss restrictions on sound and sign distribution (morphemic alternation, phonotactics), and develop a model of the phonological grammar in terms of rules and representations. Throughout the course, we utilize datasets taken from a variety of the world’s languages. General Phonetics (Ling 220) or a B or higher in Introduction to Linguistics (Ling 110).  SO
TTh 1pm-2:15pm

* LING 2340a, Quantitative Linguistics  Edwin Ko

This course introduces statistical methods in linguistics, which are an increasingly integral part of linguistic research. The course provides students with the skills necessary to organize, analyze, and visualize linguistic data using R, and explains the concepts underlying these methods, which set a foundation that positions students to also identify and apply new quantitative methods, beyond the ones covered in this course, in their future projects. Course concepts are framed around existing linguistic research, to help students design future research projects and critically evaluate academic literature. Assignments and in-class activities involve a combination of hands-on practice with quantitative tools and discussion of analyses used in published academic work. The course also include brief overviews of linguistic topics as a foundation for discussing the statistical methods used to investigate them.  QR, SO
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

* LING 2349b, Experimental Semantics  Maria Pinango

The structure of meaning as part of the human cognitive system. How language use, which is serial and local in nature, is able to package meaning, which is multidimensional and atemporal. Psycholinguistic and cognitive modeling of core phenomena in lexical and compositional semantics. Readings from the fields of neurocognition and cognitive psychology, model-theoretic and lexico-conceptual semantics, and pragmatics. Prerequisite: LING 005, 110, 117, 260, 263, or CGSC 110, or with permission of instructor.  SO
W 9:25am-11:15am

LING 2530a, Syntax I  Staff

If you knew all the words of a language, would you be able to speak that language? No, because you’d still need to know how to put the words together to form all and only the grammatical sentences of that language. This course focuses on the principles of our mental grammar that determine how words are put together to form sentences. Some of these principles are shared by all languages, some differ from language to language. The interplay of the principles that are shared and those that are distinct allows us to understand how languages can be very similar and yet also very different at the same time. This course is mainly an introduction to syntactic theory: it introduces the questions that the field asks, the methodology it employs, some of the main generalizations that have been drawn and results that have been achieved. Secondarily, this course is also an introduction to scientific theorizing: what it means to construct a scientific theory, how to test it, and how to choose among competing theories.  SO  0 Course cr
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

LING 2630a, Semantics I  Simon Charlow

Introduction to truth-conditional compositional semantics. Set theory, first- and higher-order logic, and the lambda calculus as they relate to the study of natural language meaning. Some attention to analyzing the meanings of tense/aspect markers, adverbs, and modals. Prerequisites: One course in linguistics, philosophy of language, logic, computer science or permission of instructor.  QR, SO  0 Course cr
MW 9am-10:15am

LING 2710a / PHIL 2271a, Philosophy of Language  Zoltan Szabo

An introduction to contemporary philosophy of language, organized around four broad topics: meaning, reference, context, and communication. Introduction to the use of logical notation.  HU  0 Course cr
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

LING 2750b / CGSC 2750b / PHIL 2280b, Pragmatics  Simon Charlow

Speakers often mean things they don’t say, but how does a hearer figure out what the speaker meant? Which sentences are designed to change the world rather than just to represent it? How are sentences used to mean different things in different contexts?  Pragmatics explores the relations between what is said and what is meant, focusing on how speech acts and the principles of “street logic”—presuppositions and implicatures—help speakers and hearers shape the landscape of a conversation. No formal prerequisites, but some familiarity with linguistics or philosophy of language will help on some of the readings.   SO  RP
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm

LING 2790a, Morphology I  Jim Wood

In this course, we dive into the fascinating world of morphology, where we uncover the inner workings of words and explore how they’re constructed from smaller building blocks. As theoretical linguists—and morphologists—our objective is to understand what shapes language at the morphological level. This semester, we tackle a wide array of topics, from methods of morphological analysis to the mechanisms that seem to give language its flexibility, including affixation, reduplication, compounding, and cliticization. We also examine how morphology interacts with other areas of grammar, such as phonology and syntax.  SO
TTh 1pm-2:15pm

* LING 3120a, Historical Linguistics II  Claire Bowern

How languages change, how we study change, and how language relates to other areas of society. Applications of historical linguistics to the study of the past (e.g. in linguistic paleontology); quantitative approaches to language change, signed language linguistic change. This class builds on material introduced in Historical Linguistics I. Prerequisite: LING 2120 Historical Linguistics I or permission of instructor.  WR, HU, SO
TTh 9am-10:15am

* LING 3270b / ARBC 4500b / NELC 4530b, History of the Arabic Language  Kevin van Bladel

This course covers the development of the Arabic language from the earliest epigraphic evidence through the formation of the Classical 'Arabiyya and further, to Middle Arabic and Neo-Arabic. Readings of textual specimens and survey of secondary literature. Prerequisite: ARBC 1400 and permission of instructor.
MW 1pm-2:15pm

* LING 3289a, Laboratory Phonology  Jason Shaw

Experimentation has emerged as an important methodology for studying phonological knowledge, the mental representation of sound patterns in language. This seminar style course discusses current approaches to analyzing sound patterns of diverse languages using experimental data. We read seminal and recent papers developing methods for relating phonological form, including syllable structure, phonotactics, alternations, stress, and intonation, to its expression in articulatory and acoustic phonetics. Prerequisite: LING 235 or LING 220, or LING 238.   SO
M 9:25am-11:15am

LING 3310b / PSYC 3531b, Neurolinguistics  Maria Pinango

The study of language as a cognitive neuroscience. The interaction between linguistic theory and neurological evidence from brain damage, degenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's disease), mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia), neuroimaging, and neurophysiology. The connection of language as a neurocognitive system to other systems such as memory and music. At least one class that introduces students to linguistic theory and linguistic argumentation from at least one perspective, including any of the following: (1) LING 217 Language and Mind, (2) LING 110 Intro to linguistics, (3) LING 253 Syntax 1, (4) LING 112 Historical Linguistics, (5) LING 232 Phonology 1, (6) LING 220 General Phonetics, or (7) Instructor permission.  SC, SO  0 Course cr
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

* LING 3360b, Articulatory Phonology  Jason Shaw

Study of experimental methods to record articulatory movements using electromagnetic articulography and/or ultrasound technologies and analytical approaches for relating articulatory movements to phonological structure. Hands-on training in laboratory techniques are paired with discussion of related experimental and theoretical research. Prerequisites: LING 220 and LING 232 or permission of instructor.   SO
Th 9:25am-11:15am

* LING 3410b, Field Methods  Edwin Ko

Principles of phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics applied to the collection and interpretation of novel linguistic data. Data are collected and analyzed by the class as a group, working directly with a speaker of a relatively undocumented language. Discussion of ethics, linguistic diversity, and endangerment, Open to majors and graduate students in Linguistics, and to others with permission of instructor. Students should have taken LING 232 or LING 220 and one other linguistics class.  SO
W 9:25am-11:15am

LING 3540b, Syntax II  Jim Wood

This course continues the development of the "principles and parameters" approach to grammatical theory in Government-Binding theory and the Minimalist Program. We begin with a brief review of the architecture of syntactic theory, move on to an extended exploration of the mechanisms of dependency formation in syntax (including displacement, agreement, control, scope and anaphora), and conclude with a discussion of the nature of syntactic representation (constituency in double object constructions, the mapping between structure and thematic relations, the role of functional categories). Throughout, a major goal of the course is to engage in foundational issues by reading primary literature in syntax and applying theoretical concepts to novel data. Prerequisite: LING 253.  WR, SO
TTh 1pm-2:15pm

LING 3610a / PSYC 163, Language Acquisition  Athulya Aravind

The development of communication and language in children from birth to adolescence. Preverbal communication, lexical learning, morphological and syntactic development, phonological perception and production, the acquisition of pragmatic and communicative competence, and the relation of these skills to literacy.  SO
Th 9:25am-11:15am

* LING 3640b, Semantics II  Staff

The model-theoretic approach to semantics and its treatment of core linguistic phenomena. Topics include quantification; tense, aspect, and modality; context and interpretation; and the semantics-pragmatics interface. Prerequisite: LING 263 or permission of instructor.  QR, SO
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

* LING 3770a, Topics in Syntax: Special Topics  Staff

In this course, we take a detailed look at our current understanding of an area of natural language syntax and open questions in that area. LING 253 Syntax I, or equivalent experience  SO
T 9:25am-11:15am

LING 3780a, Lexical Semantics  Maria Pinango

This course explores the fundamental issues and concepts in the linguistic study of word meaning, as well as the relation between the semantics of words and other aspects of meaning, such as context-dependent (pragmatic) meaning. The course is organized as an overview of the core semantic properties of three syntactic categories in natural languages: verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Topics to be covered include verb classes, aspect, semantic roles, vagueness, gradability, antonymy, sense and reference, and categorization. Primary emphasis is placed on elucidating the fundamental empirical issues that must be accounted for, but we also explore different theoretical approaches to these issues, with an eye towards identifying the role of lexical item meaning in the overall system of meaning in natural language and in the architecture of the language system. Prerequisites: At least one of the following: LING 110, LING 117/PSYCH 137, LING 120/PSYC 318, CGSC 110/PSYC 130, PSYC 110, LING 375 or consent of instructor.  SO  0 Course cr
MW 2:30pm-3:45pm

* LING 3790b, The Syntax-Morphology Interface  Jim Wood

Syntax and morphology are intertwined in many fascinating ways, and in fact, many current theories take the building of words, phrases, and sentences to involve the same mechanisms in the same modules of grammar. Whether this view is correct or not, there are many phenomena where the form of a word and the structure of a phrase or sentence interact in a way that deserves special attention. This seminar focuses on such phenomena. While there are many things that fall under the umbrella of this course (see possible term paper topics in syllabus), much of the class is devoted to cases where morphological syncretism makes a syntactic structure possible that otherwise would not be. Prerequisite: LING 253. Either LING 280 or LING 254 would be a huge plus as well, but are not strictly necessary. Please contact the instructor if you have questions.   SO
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

* LING 3800a or b, Topics in Computational Linguistics: Neural Network Models of Linguistic Structure  Staff

An introduction to the computational methods associated with "deep learning" (neural network architectures, learning algorithms, network analysis). The application of such methods to the learning of linguistic patterns in the domains of syntax, phonology, and semantics. Exploration of hybrid architectures that incorporate linguistic representation into neural network learning. Prerequisites: Python programming, basic calculus and linear algebra, introduction to linguistic theory (LING 106, 110, 116, 217 or equivalent).  QR, SO
HTBA

LING 3840b, Computational Psycholinguistics  Staff

When processing language, the human mind can perform remarkable feats. For instance, we can acquire a language from a small amount of data - thousands of times less data than current systems in artificial intelligence - and we can infer what another person means even when that person’s intended message goes beyond the literal meaning of their words. This course explores how computational modeling can help us characterize our incredible capacity for language learning and processing. We focus on three modeling traditions - symbolic algorithms, Bayesian models, and neural networks - and their application to a range of psycholinguistic phenomena, including parsing, pragmatics, speech perception, word learning, and language acquisition. We also discuss how artificial intelligence can inform theories of human language processing and vice versa. Prerequisites: One prior course in Linguistics, or permission of the instructor and Familiarity with Python programming, or permission of the instructor  QR, SO
TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

* LING 3910a or b, Topics in Semantics: Current Issues  Staff

This course bridges introductory courses (LING 2630, LING 2640) and advanced seminars in semantics. It explores selected topics in some detail, allowing students to appreciate the nuances of semantic argumentation while at the same time emphasizing the foundational issues involved. The goal of this course is to allow students, within a structured format, to become comfortable engaging with open-ended problems and to gain confidence in proposing original solutions to such problems. Topics vary across semesters. Prerequisite: LING 2630 / LING 6630 or permission of Instructor  SO
HTBA

* LING 4710b, Special Projects  Jason Shaw

Special projects set up by students with the help of a faculty adviser and the director of undergraduate studies to cover material not otherwise offered by the department. The project must terminate with at least a term paper or its equivalent and must have the approval of the director of undergraduate studies. Only one term may be offered toward the major; two terms may be offered toward the bachelor's degree.
HTBA

* LING 4900a / PSYC 3372a, Research Methods in Linguistics  Simon Charlow

Development of skills in linguistics research, writing, and presentation. Choosing a research area, identifying good research questions, developing hypotheses, and presenting ideas clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing; methodological issues; the balance between building on existing literature and making a novel contribution. Prepares for the writing of the senior essay.
W 4pm-5:50pm

* LING 4910b, The Senior Essay  Jason Shaw

Research and writing of the senior essay under the guidance of a faculty adviser. Students present research related to their essays in a weekly colloquium. Prerequisite: LING 490.
W 4pm-5:50pm