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2022/2023

Spanish Historical Grammar

Code: 100597 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500248 Spanish Language and Literature OB 2 2
2501801 Catalan and Spanish Studies OT 3 2
2501801 Catalan and Spanish Studies OT 4 2
2501910 English and Spanish Studies OT 3 2
2501910 English and Spanish Studies OT 4 2
2504388 Catalan and Spanish Studies OT 3 2
2504388 Catalan and Spanish Studies OT 4 2

Contact

Name:
Cristina Buenafuentes de la Mata
Email:
cristina.buenafuentes@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
Yes

Prerequisites

By obtaining the minimum of credits in basic training subjects, students have demonstrated to have acquired the basic competences and they will be able to express themselves orally and in writing. For this reason, any spelling and expression errors that may be committed will lead to a score decrease in the final grade.

It is also expected that students know the general rules of submission of an academic work. However, students could apply the specific rules that the teacher of the subject may indicate to them, if they deem it necessary.

It is not essential, but it is recommended, the possession of some basic knowledge of the Latin language.

Objectives and Contextualisation

"Historical Grammar of Spanish" is an introductory course to the historical study of the language, both in general (linguistic change) and particular (the concrete evolution of Spanish).

 The aim of the subject is for the student to acquire a general vision of the different stages of evolution of Spanish, with special emphasis on the graphematic and phonic changes of the Spanish linguistic system, as well as an initial mastery of the tools of diachronic study of a language.

 At the end of the course students must be able to:

  • Apply different methodologies in the study of the historical grammar of Spanish.
  • Handle the tools of historical linguistics.
  • Identify the different types of linguistic changes that may occur in a language.
  • Describe the most relevant aspects of the history of the Spanish language from the external point of view.
  • Establish the different historical stages of the Spanish language and the phonic and graphematic changes corresponding to each period.
  • Produce phonic evolution of Latin words to modern Spanish.

Competences

    Spanish Language and Literature
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Typological framing the main phenomena of the Spanish language and relate them to similar phenomena in other Romance languages.
    Catalan and Spanish Studies
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the history and development of the Spanish language, and identify the main periods of evolution and fundamental linguistic characteristics of each.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Typological framing the main phenomena of the Spanish language and relate them to similar phenomena in other Romance languages.
    English and Spanish Studies
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the history and development of the Spanish language, and identify the main periods of evolution and fundamental linguistic characteristics of each.
  • Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  • Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Typological framing the main phenomena of the Spanish language and relate them to similar phenomena in other Romance languages.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Apply the principles of historical linguistics applied to the study of Spanish historical grammar.
  2. Correctly draw up a previously analysed non-regulatory text.
  3. Correctly drawing up a previously analysed non-regulatory text.
  4. Describe the origins of Spanish: the Roman languages and romanization.
  5. Interpret the meaning of unknown words thanks to its context.
  6. Interpreting the meaning of unknown words thanks to its context.
  7. Make predictions and inferences about the content of a text.
  8. Making predictions and inferences about the content of a text.
  9. Producing a written text that is grammatically and lexically correct.
  10. Use suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.
  11. Using suitable terminology when drawing up an academic text.

Content

Topic 1. Historical linguistics and language change. 

Topic 2. Types of language change.

Topic 3. History of the Spanish language. Linguistic evolution from an external perspective: from pre-Roman languages to modern Spanish.

Topic 4. Historical grammar. Linguistic evolution from the internal perspective: graphology, phonetics and phonology from Latin to Spanish.

Methodology

The student must carry up a continuous follow-up of the subject.

In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, theoretical explanations will be combined by the teacher (where the methodology and the basic tools of the historical study of the language will be shown) with the practical realization of exercises in the classroom (mainly focused on the identification of the graphic and phonic changes experienced by Spanish from Latin to the present).

The realization of one theoretical-practical test, one theoretical test and a practical evaluative activity will be required.

The learning of this subject by the student is distributed as follows:

  • 37,5% of directed activities (54,5 hours)

- These activities are distributed in theoretical classes (55%) and classroom practices (45%)

  • 10% of supervised activities (15 hours)
  • 52% of autonomous activities (76 hours)

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classroom practices 24.5 0.98 1
Theoretical classes 30 1.2 1
Type: Supervised      
Activities 7.5 0.3 8, 11, 6, 3
Mandatory readings 7.5 0.3 6
Type: Autonomous      
Elaboration of the activities 20 0.8 9, 6, 3
Preparation of partial tests and final test 56 2.24 1, 11

Assessment

The faculty will evaluate this subject on an ongoing basis through the realization of one theoretical-practical test, one theoretical test and a practical evaluative activity.

The evaluation will be distributed as follows:

  • Theoretical and practical test: 20%
  • Theoretical test: 30%
  • Practical evaluation activity: 50%

The evaluation of the subject will be carried out, therefore, starting from the realization of three activities / tests in which the following aspects will be evaluated:

  • The assimilation of theoretical contents;
  • The practical application of the contents;
  • The adaptation to the requirements of the activity in question;

The three activities / tests to be carried out are the following: 

  • A theoretical-practical exam about the required readings and the theoretical concepts and their application in the resolution of exercises. This test constitutes 20% of the final grade of the subject.
  • A theoretical exam based on the contents of the required readings. This test constitutes 30% of the final grade of the subject.
  • A practical evaluative activity that will consist of the evolution of a certain number of words from Latin to Spanish, through the identification of the different evolutionary stages and the phonic changes corresponding to each period. This exam constitutes 50% of the final grade of the subject.

To pass the subject all the evaluation activities must be done. The final grade, once all the notes have been added and the percentages indicated above applied, must be equal to or greater than 5.

The completion of spelling, expression, lexicon and syntax will have a penalty of 0.2 each, without limit, on the final grade in the activities and exams. Repeated faults also discount.

The date of tthe evaluation activities will be communicated in advance. The evaluation activities may not be held outside the scheduled date.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessmentactivity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

The student will be considered "not evaluable" if delivered only 45% of the evaluable evidence. The elaboration of more than 45% of the tests will mean, then, the will of the student to be evaluated in the subject and, therefore, his presentation to the evaluation.

Re-evaluation

All evaluation activities are recoverable. However, the student will lose the right to reassess if the average of the tests performed with the corresponding percentage is less than 3.5 points. If the student has the right to reassessment, he can only reassess at most two tests. Moreover, it should be taken into account that in order to be eligible for re-evaluation, students are obliged to attend all the evaluable tests.

In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc.Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives. 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Practical evaluation activity 50% 1.5 0.06 1, 8, 7, 11, 10, 6, 5, 3, 2
Theoretical and practical test 20% 1.5 0.06 1, 9, 4, 6, 5
Theoretical classes 30% 1.5 0.06 1, 9, 4, 8, 7, 11, 10, 6, 5, 3, 2

Bibliography

The students will have to acquire the following book:

  • CLAVERIA, Gloria; Marta PRAT and Carlos SÁNCHEZ (1999), Curso de lengua española: diacronía. Bellaterra: UAB (Materials, 76). 2nd edition 2017. Avaiable in e-book.

The teacher will indicate recommended and mandatory readings for each content.

 

Reference works and manuals:

ARIZA, Manuel (1989), Manual de fonología histórica del español. Madrid: Síntesis.

ARIZA, Manuel (2012), Fonología y fonética histórica del español. Madrid: Arco/Libros. Avaiable in e-book.

CANO AGUILAR, Rafael (1988), El español a través de los tiempos. Madrid: Arco/Libros. 8th edition 2015. Avaiable in e-book.

CANO AGUILAR, Rafael (coord.) (2004), Historia de la lengua española. Barcelona: Ariel.

ECHENIQUE, Mª Teresa and Mª José MARTÍNEZ (2011), Diacronía y gramática histórica de la lengua española. Valencia: Tirant Humanidades. Avaiable in e-book.

ECHENIQUE, Mª Teresa and Juan SÁNCHEZ (2005), Las lenguas de un reino. Historia lingüística hispánica. Madrid: Gredos.

FRADEJAS RUEDA, José Manuel (1997), Fonología histórica del español. Madrid: Visor Libros.

LAPESA, Rafael (1981), Historia de la lengua española. Madrid: Gredos.

LLEAL, Coloma (1990), La formación de las lenguas romances peninsulares. Barcelona: Barcanova.

LLOYD, Paul M. (1987/1993), Del latín al español: I. Fonología y morfología históricas de la lengua española. Madrid: Gredos.

MENÉNDEZ PIDAL, Ramón (1940), Manual de gramática histórica española. Madrid: Espasa-Calpe.

PENNY, Ralph (1991), Gramática histórica del español. Barcelona: Ariel. 2nd edition 2006.

PENNY, Ralph (2015), “Historia del español: los sonidos”, in Gutiérrez Rexach, J. (ed.): Enciclopedia de Lingüística Hispánica. New York: Routledge, vol. II, pp. 547-563. Avaiable in e-book in UAB catalog.

ROJO, Guillermo (2021), Introducción a la lingüística de corpus en español. New York: Routledge. Avaiable in e-book in UAB catalog.

TORRENS ÁLVAREZ, M.ª Jesús (2018), “Evolución diacrónica de los sonidos del español”, in Ridruejo, E. (ed.): Manual de Lingüística Española. Berlin-Boston: De Gruyter, pp. 67-95. Avaiable in e-book.

TORRUELLA, Joan (2017), Lingüística de corpus. Génesis y bases metodológicas de los corpus (históricos) para la investigación científica. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang. Avaiable in e-book.

YLLERA, Alicia (1983), “Lingüística histórica”, a ABAD, Francisco and Antonio GARCÍA BERRIO (coord.), Introducción a la lingüística. Madrid: Alhambra, pp. 345-388.

 

Links:

DAVIES, Mark: Banco de datos [en línea]. Corpus del español. <http://www.corpusdelespanol.org>.

REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA: Banco de datos (CORDE) [en línea]. Corpus diacrónico del español. < http://corpus.rae.es/cordenet.html >.

REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA: Banco de datos (CREA) [en línea]. Corpus de referencia delespañol actual. < http://corpus.rae.es/creanet.html>.

REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA: Banco de datos (CNDH) [en línea]. Corpus del Nuevo Diccionario Histórico del Español.  <http://web.frl.es/CNDHE>.

REAL ACADEMIA ESPAÑOLA: Banco de datos (CORPES XXI) [en línea]. Corpus del Español del Siglo XXI. <http://web.frl.es/CORPES>.

TORRUELLA, Joan and KABATEK, Johannes (dirs.). Portal de Corpus Históricos Iberorrománicos (CORHIBER). <http://www.corhiber.org>.

Software

In this course it is not necessary to use specific computer programs.