SEMITIC PHILOLOGY

The Semitic Philology course is part of the LICSAAM study program, MOAA curriculum. It provides students with a solid foundation in the study of Semitic languages from a historical and comparative perspective. The course offers essential tools for linguistic and philological analysis, which are fundamental for studying the languages and civilizations of the Near and Middle East, both in ancient and modern times.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• understand the classification of Semitic languages and their geographical and historical distribution;
• analyze the main phonological, morphological, and syntactic characteristics of Semitic languages;
• compare different languages within the Semitic family to identify linguistic relationships;
• understand key linguistic change phenomena and apply them to the study of Semitic languages.

Knowledge of Italian and English; basic knowledge of at least one Semitic language, depending on the student’s academic curriculum.

Content overview:
• general introduction to Semitic languages: geographical distribution, historical aspects, main linguistic features, and fundamental text;
• classification and description of Semitic languages;
• aspects of phonology, morphology, syntax, and typology of Semitic languages, also from a comparative perspective;
• genetic relationships among Semitic languages and principles of linguistic reconstruction.

General reference texts (any modifications or details will be communicated via Moodle):

Garbini, Giovanni, and Olivier Durand. 1994. Introduzione alle lingue semitiche. Brescia: Paideia.
Daniels, Peter T. 1997. “Scripts of Semitic Languages.” In The Semitic Languages, edited by Robert Hetzron, 16–45. Routledge Language Family Descriptions. New York: Routledge.
Huehnergard, John, and Aaron D. Rubin. 2011. “Phyla and Waves: Models of Classification of the Semitic Languages.” In The Semitic Languages: An International Handbook, edited by Stefan Weninger, 259–78. Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft. Berlin ; Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110251586.54 . (Disponibile via SBA)

The exam consists of an oral assessment based on the contents indicated in the bibliography provided in the syllabus and on Moodle.

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Grades will be assigned according to the following criteria:
A. grades in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of: Sufficient knowledge and applied comprehension of the program;
B. grades in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of: Fair knowledge and applied comprehension of the program;
C. grades in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of: Good or excellent knowledge and applied comprehension of the program;
D. grades will be awarded in the presence of excellent knowledge and applied comprehension of the program.

Lectures, group discussions.

Students are invited to contact the relevant offices for any issues related to exam registration and other administrative matters; emails on these topics will not receive a response. Students who are not properly registered for the exam session will not be allowed to take the exam.