Course Syllabus
AF2208 Språkstruktur i afrikanska språk, 7,5 hp
Instructor: Laura Downing
Contact information for study advisors can be found at this link: https://studentportal.gu.se/minastudier/sprak/Studievagledning?skipSSOCheck=true
Welcome to AF2208's Canvas webpage!
The course is intended to be an introduction to descriptive linguistics from an Africanist perspective. It is designed to provide a basic introduction to the grammatical structure of one Bantu language (to be chosen by the instructor) and to Somali. Grammatical properties to be discussed for the two languages are: phonology (the sound system), morphology (the structure of words), and syntax (the structure of sentences). The Bantu language chosen and Somali (a Cushitic language) will be compared to each other, to illustrate the range of variation in the structures of African languages. Furthermore, the grammatical properties of both languages will be placed in a typological perspective, highlighting what is distinctive about the languages and what they have in common with other, unrelated languages. The final module investigates the impact that language contact can have on linguistic structure.
The course will be taught in English, and the readings are in English.
Course requirements:
A final essay (ca. 7000 words) on a topic relevant to the course, to be decided upon in consultation with the instructor.
The final written essay is to be submitted using Canvas.
Course Summary:
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