1. Home
  2. NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities
  3. Master in Translation
  4. area of specialisation in German
  5. Comparative Linguistics

Comparative Linguistics

Objectives

1. To gain an understanding of differences and similarities among languages.
2. To become familiar with the theoretical and methodological tools necessary for the analysis of phenomena from different languages from a comparative perspective.
3. To be able to comparatively describe aspects of the grammars of the languages used in one´s translation practice at different levels: lexical, phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic.
4. To develop autonomous research skills, making it possible to apply concepts and instruments pertaining to the description and analysis of language in the resolution of translation problems.

General characterization

Code

722131041

Credits

10.0

Responsible teacher

Helena Virgínia Topa Valentim

Hours

Weekly - 3

Total - 280

Teaching language

Portuguese

Prerequisites

Not applicable

Bibliography

Aarts, B. & A. McMahon (orgs.) (2008) The Handbook of English Linguistics. Wiley-Blackwell.
Beekes, R. (2011) Comparative Indo-European Linguistics: An Introduction. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Bosque, I. & V. Demonte (orgs.) (1999) Gramática Descriptiva de la Lengua Española. Madrid: Espasa.
Cinque, G. & R.S. Kayne (orgs.) (2008) The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Syntax. OUP.
Harbert, W. (2006) The Germanic Languages (Cambridge Language Surveys). CUP.
Haspelmath, M., M.S. Dryer, D. Gil & B. Comrie (orgs.) (2005) The World Atlas of Language Structures. OUP.
Huddleston, R. & G. Pullum (2002) The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. CUP.
Mateus, M.H. et al (2003) Gramática da Língua Portuguesa. Lisboa: Caminho.
Raposo, E. et al (orgs.) (2013) Gramática do Português. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Salkoff, M. (1999) A French-English Grammar: A Contrastive Grammar on Translational Principles. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins.

Teaching method

The seminars are theoretical (60%) and practical (40%), with a strong interactive component. The practical component includes the description and analysis of linguistic data, problem solving and the presentation and discussion of texts and of students´ assignments.
In class teaching

Evaluation method

Evaluation Method - A research paper (written paper and oral presentation)(60%), One written test (40%)(40%)

Subject matter

1. Introdutory concepts: grammar and levels of linguistic analysis.
2. Theoretical approaches in comparative linguistics.
3. The lexicon: morphological and non-morphological processes of word formation.
4. The noun phrase and the inflectional categories of gender, number, case. Possessive constructions.
5. Structures of verbal complementation.
6. Interrogative and relative constructions.
7. Tense and aspect: uses and semantic values of some verb forms.
8. Variation in word order and informational structure.
9. Linguistic aspects of a pragmatic nature.