HISTORY OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE

Course on Spanish and Latin American language is a core edutional activity in the "Letterario-culturale" and "Politico internazionale" curriculum of Languages, Civilisation and the Science of Language programme. This course consists of a half-year learning module. The overall objective of this course is to study of main changes of the Spanish language with special attention to old and classical Spanish. The achievement of the expected learning results is verified in a structured exam.

1. Knowledge and understanding
The processes of change and periodization of the Spanish language.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Ability to identify and describe the main processes of linguistic change in the Spanish language; ability to recognize the main stages of historical formation of the Spanish language; ability to describe main features of old Spanish in literary texts and documental sources..
3. Making judgments
Ability to connect the historical phases of the Spanish language with the current standard and modern varieties of the Spanish language; ability to understand the origin of the linguistic diversity of the Spanish language; ability to establish a relationship between phoneticphonological evolution and writing; ability to philologically analyze a text at an initial level; ability to use electronic resources for the historical study of the Spanish language (such as Corpus de documentos anteriores a 1800).
4. Communication skills
Ability to apply the terminology of historical linguistics to describe the phonetic-phonological changes of the Spanish language; ability to explain the main phonetic-phonological and morphosyntactic features characterizing the historical phases of the Spanish language; ability to orally discuss the diachronic phenomena.
5. Learning skills
Self-assessment ability with respect to content acquisition; ability to apply the acquired knowledge to undertake the study of the history of the Spanish language at an advanced level; ability to consult the bibliographic sources suggested by the teacher in order to increase knowledge.

Knowledge and ability acquired through the course of Spanish language 1.

Section I: Introduction to historical grammar of Spanish language:
1. From latin to spanish; diachronic evolution.
2. General concepts: Language change: stages and problems; phonological change; sounds and writting; Phonetic processes in the syllable (assimilation, dissimilation, prosthesis, epentesis, metathesis, apocope, syncope, apheresis)
3. Main changes of Spanish Language. Vowels: 1) Latin vowel system; 2) Stressed vowels; 3) Diphthongs; 4) Effects of "yod" on stressed vowels; 5) Non stressed vowels.
4. Main changes of Spanish Language. Consonants (I): 1) Initial position; 2) Internal position; 3) Final position.
5. Main changes of Spanish Language. Consonants (II) - consonant groups: 1) Initial position; 2) Internal position.
Section II: Philological analysis of the main works of the Middle Ages
1. Il "latín arromanzado".
2. Las jarchas.
3. Las glosas.
4. Poema de Mio Cid.

Ralph Penny, Gramática histórica del español, Barcelona, Ariel, 2006 (2 ed.) [IBERIS Cons. E 576]
Manuel Fradejas Rueda, Fonología histórica del español, Madrid, Visor, 1997.
Pedro Sánchez-Prieto Borja, Cómo editar los textos medievales. Criterios para su presentación gráfica, Madrid, Arco/Libros, 1998 [IBERIS Cons. H 120].
Rafael Cano Aguilar, Introducción al análisis filológico, Madrid, Castalia, 2001 [IBERIS Cons. E 292].

The critical editions of the texts analyzed will be indicated at the beginning of the course.

Students’ learning is assessed via a written exam (30 points), consisting of a multiple choice test for assessing Knowledge and understanding, as well as communication and argumentation skills.

written

As for the grading of the grade, scores will be assigned according to the following scheme:
A. scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of: sufficient linguistic competence in the Spanish language with respect to the level envisaged by the course; sufficient knowledge of the established program; sufficient ability to investigate linguistics through the theoretical notions and methodological tools presented in class;
B. scores in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of: fair linguistic competence in Spanish compared to the level expected in the course; fair knowledge of the established syllabus; fair capacity for linguistic investigation through the theoretical notions and methodological tools presented in class;
C. scores in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of: excellent linguistic competence in the Spanish language with respect to the level envisaged by the course; excellent knowledge of the established program; excellent capacity for linguistic investigation through the theoretical notions and methodological tools presented in class;
D. honors will be awarded in the presence of excellent language proficiency, as well as excellent knowledge of the established syllabus and excellent capacity for linguistic investigation through the theoretical notions and methodological tools presented in class.

Frontal lectures; workshops.

Non-attending students are required to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the second semester