This seminar is designed to give an overview of the
languages in the Baltic Sea region. We will start with a brief history of
language typology from its beginnings to the present, followed up by an
overview of all language families in the region, especially of their structural
features. Languages and language families included are: German as a West Germanic
language, the Scandinavian resp. North Germanic languages, the Finno-Ugric
languages (especially Finnish and Estonian), the Baltic languages (Latvian,
Lithuanian), the Slavonic languages (especially Polish and Russian). Furthermore,
we will take a look at the Baltic sprachbund
and its characteristic features. An important aim of this seminar is to make
you aware of the complex organization and systematic nature of language, the
primary means of human communication. By the end of the course you should also be
familiar with the typical linguistic terminology in the field of language
typology.
- Dozent/in: Claudia Radünzel