1022.06 - General Grammar I

1022.06

General Grammar I

12

To give students theoretical and practical knowledge og Faroese grammar as compared with related languages and grammars.

The linguistic concept of grammar is the study of structures in language. The purpose of the Grammar course is to give students an overall theoretical and practical knowledge of Faroese grammar and philology in general. Grammar is a core discipline in philological study and relates to the structure of language, both in general and in a specific language. In the mainm, the course focuses on Faroese grammar, but Faroese is continually compared with similar languages, and general grammar considerations and approaches are applied. The course will focus on the phonology, morphology (inflection) and syntax of Faroese and the linkages between these three aspects of a language. The content and meaning (semantics) of language will be discussed. The course will also serve as an introduction to dialectical grammar and students will be introduced to linguistic variation (dialects, sociolects, spoken and written language). A text on grammar, and possibly a text on phonetics, will be studied to provide a foundation upon which to explore Faroese grammar. A Faroese grammar text will be studied, as well as other articles and papers on the Faroese language. Texts and perhaps various sound recordings representing different dialectical grammar structures will be reviewed. Initial coursework will especially focus on phonetics, which is an indispensable tool in the study of language. The student will learn phonetic symbols and the fundamentals of phonetics. The student shall regularly submit project assignments, some of which will focus on Faroese phonetics. Initial coursework is also devoted to the study of semantics and basic morphology. The latter terms, for the most part, focus on syntax and language variation. Examination At the examination, the student shall demonstrate that he/she: •can use and apply phonetic symbols •has a good grasp of Faroese grammar (phonetics, morphology and syntax) •a basic knowledge of semantic concepts. The student shall be able to describe a text grammatically, i.e. analyze a text or text extract. The analysis shall be based on the concepts used in general linguistics. •is able to describe the predominant features of Faroese dialects and to point out the most important isoglosses. Other linguistic variations such as sociolects, written language compared to spoken language, etc., may also be included. Reading List No reading list is required for the examination in Grammar I. The student will be tested on the material presented during the course. •One general grammar text •One Faroese grammar text •A compilation of scholarly articles and papers that treats various aspects of Faroese linguistics. •A relevant selection of texts (25 - 40 pages) representing various orthographies. The texts should represent the main dialects.

2 lectures per week over the course of three terms.

6-hours written examination with external examiners