Introduction to Comparative Indo-European Linguistics
Build your knowledge of Indo-European languages, how they changed through time, and how to reconstruct ancient languages.
2,368 enrolled on this course
Duration
8 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
Introduction to Comparative Indo-European Linguistics
Delve into the prehistory and ancient languages of Europe and Asia
Every language belongs to a language family; a group of languages that are genetically related to each other. Indo-European is the name of the language family to which English belongs, along with many sub-families such as Germanic languages and Romance languages.
On this eight-week course from Leiden University, you’ll explore Indo-European languages, the ancient languages at the top of the family tree, and the linguistic tools needed to study them.
Discover the linguistic origins and distinctions of Indo-European languages
The Indo-European language family is now known to consist of thirteen major branches and a number of now extinct languages of which only fragments have been preserved that may once have formed branches of their own.
You’ll delve into the structure and origins of these branches. Not only will you learn about the oldest languages belonging to the Indo-European language family, but you’ll also learn about linguistic reconstruction, how you can tell whether two languages are related to each other and how language changes.
Explore each branch of the Indo-European language tree, from Greek and Iranian to Balto-Slavic
This course will guide you through the different groups of Indo-European languages. You’ll look at some of the oldest texts from these languages, including Ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and learn about the importance of oral traditions in the history of these texts.
Develop the skills to reconstruct Proto-Indo-European
As you progress through each of the branches of the language tree, you’ll begin to piece together the Proto-Indo-European language bit by bit by comparing and contrasting each different language in the tree.
Syllabus
Week 1
The Indo-European language family
An introduction
Get to know the teaching team and Leiden University.
The Indo-European language family
What is the Indo-European language family and when was it discovered?
Quiz
-
The Indo-Europeans
Why are the Indo-Europeans important? Who were they and where did they live?
Week 2
Language change
Basic linguistic concepts
In this block, we will briefly introduce you to some basic linguistic concepts that are important for this MOOC. If you're already familiar with them, feel free to just mark them done!
Genetically related languages
We will explore how we know that languages are related to each other.
Week 3
Greek and Sanskrit
This week
This week we will be dealing with Greek, Indic and Sanskrit.
Greek
In this activity we will be exploring Greek.
Indic
In this part of the course, you will learn about Sanskrit.
Week 4
Iranian and Armenian
This week
We look at the learning goals for this week.
Iranian
We will explore the Iranian branch of Indo-European.
Armenian
In this last part of this week's lesson, you will learn about Armenian.
Week 5
Balto-Slavic and Italic
This week
We will look at this weeks learning goals.
Balto-Slavic
We will explore the Baltic and Slavic languages and learn how to reconstruct some of the consonants of Proto-Indo-European.
Italic
You will learn about another branch of Indo-European: Italic.
Week 6
Celtic and Germanic
This week
We will look at this weeks learning goals.
Celtic
We will explore the Celtic branch of Indo-European and you will learn about labiovelar consonants.
Germanic
This section is about the Germanic languages and the consonant changes that make Germanic unique within the Indo-European language family.
Week 7
Anatolian and Tocharian
This week
We will discuss the learning goals for this week.
Anatolian
This part of the course is about the Anatolian languages and about the important role they play in the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European.
Tocharian
This section is about the Tocharian languages and the structure of the Indo-European language family.
Other Indo-European languages
Here we discuss the last two branches of Indo-European: Phrygian and Albanian.
Week 8
Indo-European culture and society
This week
We will look at this weeks learning goals.
Who were the Indo-Europeans?
What do we know about the people who spoke Proto-Indo-European?
Dichtersprache and Indo-European religion
This section is about the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European hymns and religion.
Conclusion
You have finished the course. We offer you some materials and suggestions for further study.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explain how Indo-European languages are related to each other
- Investigate words and sounds in Indo-European languages
- Describe the systematic changes that allow us to reconstruct a prehistoric language
- Discuss the interplay between linguistics, archaeology and genetics
- Discuss the recent developments in this research field
- Explore the oldest written sources of Indo-European languages
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in prehistoric and ancient Europe and Asia, as well as anyone looking to learn about comparative linguistics.
Who will you learn with?
Tijmen Pronk is a lecturer at Leiden University in The Netherlands, where he teaches courses about Indo-European Comparative Linguistics.
Who developed the course?
Leiden University
Leiden University is one of Europe’s foremost research universities. This prominent position gives our graduates a leading edge and prepares them for careers both within and outside of academia.
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Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$349.99 for one year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$134/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 21 Jun 2024
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) | |||
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
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