31502 - Slavic Philology 1

Course contents

The course concerns the evolution of slavic languages and cultures, from the earliest written records in Old Church Slavonic to the development of local Church Slavonic redactions. In this connection, some gospel texts from the 11th-15th centuries will be read. Particular attention will be paid to the literary production of the Second Bulgarian Empire (13th-15th century). Studying the complex phenomenon called ‘Euthymian Reform', the students will recognize the cultural and linguistic basis of the ‘Second South-Slavic Influence', which determines the subsequent evolution of East Slavic and of Russian in particular. Part of the course will focus on the old Novgorodian dialect, used in many short texts (gramoty), which are of great importance for reconstructing the cultural history of the russian North. Basic notions of comparative grammar will also be supplied, so that students may learn to recognize the various modern slavic languages and the peculiarities of their structure, from the phonological, morphological and syntactical point of view.

1. Introduction: ‘philology' / alphabets / cultural areas / historical and linguistic periodization;

2. Old Slavonic: Cyril and Methodius / Byzantium / typology of medieval books / canonic texts;

3. Church Slavonic: local redactions / orthodox christianity;

4. The Euthymian reform of Church Slavonic and the Second South-Slavic Influence in Rus'

5. Sources for the history of the 14-th Century in Bulgaria

6. Historical grammar: from Proto-Indo-European to modern languages;

7. Similarities and differences among modern slavic languages

8. Palaeography and philology: textual criticism of the slavic and greek Gospels;

9. ‘Old Russian': theories of the literary language / ‘Slovo o polku Igoreve' / chronicles / Novgorod and the birchbark documents.

 

Readings/Bibliography

1. Prostranno žitie na Metodij, in: Kliment Ochridski, Săbrani săčinenija, a cura di B.S. Angelov, Ch. Kodov, III, BAN, Sofija 1973, pp. 185-195 (trad. it. di M. Garzaniti in: A.-E. N. Tachiaos, Cirillo e Metodio. Le radici cristiane della cultura slava, Milano 2005, pp. 207-223).

2. A.M. SCHENKER, The Dawn of Slavic. An Introduction to Slavic Philology, Yale Univesity Press, New Haven-London 1995 (chapter 1 is downloadable at: http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=0300058462 ).

 

(as an alternative: H. ANDERSEN, «Le lingue slave», in: A. Giacalone Ramat, P. Ramat (a cura di), Le lingue indo­europee, Il Mulino, Bologna 1997 (I ed. 1993), pp. 441-479; F. CONTE, Gli Slavi. Le civiltà dell'Europa centrale e orientale, Einaudi, Torino 1991, capitoli A.III-IV, pp. 14-61; E.II, pp. 296-312; F.III, pp. 435-458)

 

3. F. DVORNIK, «Il secondo impero bulgaro e l'ascesa della Serbia», in: ID., Gli Slavi nella storia e nella civiltà europea, I, Dedalo, Bari 1968 (trad. di P. Portoghese, ed. or. The Slavs in European History and Civilization, Rutgers, New Brunswick 1962), pp. 133-171.

 

4. A.A. ZALIZNJAK, Drevnenovgorodskij dialekt, Jazyki slavjanskoj kul'tury, Moskva 2004 (II ed., I ed. 1995), capitoli 2 e 3, pp. 38-154 (downloadable at http://gramoty.ru/index.php?id=library).

 

(as an alternative: H. BIRNBAUM, Lord Novgorod the Great, Slavica, Columbus (Ohio) 1981).

 

( further readings will be provided during the course: non-attending students, as well as students of the old – four-year – course, or students who wish to attend the advanced class, must consult with the lecturer in order to arrange a program)

Teaching methods

frontal lessons; reading and analysis of texts; seminars

Assessment methods

Oral exam on course subjects

Office hours

See the website of Alberto Alberti