RMST419

Romance Linguistics

This course examines linguistics with an emphasis on the contemporary varieties of the Romance language family. Six main domains of linguistics will be covered: phonetics and phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics, and sociolinguistics. This will provide a broad understanding of the major similarities and differences between the Romance languages. Although the focus will be on French, Portuguese, Spanish and French, attention will also be paid to lesser-known varieties including Romance-based Creoles, Occitan, and Catalan, for instance. We will also be particularly interested in topics such as language variation and change, language contact, multilingualism, standardization, and language attitudes. The course will be interactive and based on numerous written exercises, in class and at home, that will allow the students to explore more precisely the different variations of the Romance languages.

Required readings:

There is no required handbook for this course, all relevant material will be provided in class and on Canvas.


Prerequisites: Two years study of each of two Romance languages or two years of one Romance language and one year of Latin.

Language of instruction: English