GERMANIC PHILOLOGY

Acquisition of basic competences in order to describe and interpret the main features of Germanic linguistics and typical aspects of the ancient Germanic culture. Students will be able to understand the main features of the Germanic culture and languages in the late antiquity and the Middle Ages, correctly collocating the historical events and their geographical setting and focussing on the relationship of Germanic culture with the classical and Christian world and the beginning of Germanic written culture. They will be able to use the knowledge acquired in the interpretation of new texts, by examining the main features of these texts on linguistic, historical and cultural level. They will acquire the specialised vocabulary of Germanic philology and linguistics and learn how to use it properly, with the possibility to critically re-use their knowledge in new (historical, cultural and linguistic) contexts.

Frontal lessons, seminars

Knowledge of basic notions of general linguistics (in particular of articulatory phonetics), geography and late ancient and Medieval history.

The required prerequisites are considered to have been achieved by the students as part of the programmes of the lower and upper secondary school and of the programs of the General Linguistics course and of the language courses of the course of study in Linguistic and Intercultural Mediation. In case of need, we will provide tools for the acquisition / strengthening of knowledge useful to have access without difficulty to the contents of the course: we recommend a good historical atlas, a manual used in secondary schools of the second degree (chapters on medieval history) and a good textbook of general linguistics.

Attendance, as per the regulations of the Cds in "Linguistic and Intercultural Mediation", is optional.

The program is the same for attending and non-attending students. However, given the difficulty in tackling the more technical parts of the course, anyone who is unable to attend classes is invited to contact the teacher at least one month before taking the exam.

Historical, cultural and linguistic aspects relating to the ancient Germanic peoples (with special consideration of the influence of classical and Christian culture). Introduction to the Old Norse language and literature: reading, analysis and translation of a brief passage from the Prose Edda.

1) Nicoletta Francovich Onesti, Filologia germanica. Lingue e culture dei Germani antichi, Roma 2002 (and more recent reprints) (c. 164 p.)

2) Marco Battaglia, Tradizioni letterarie della Scandinavia medievale, in Marco Battaglia (a cura di), Le civiltà letterarie del Medioevo germanico, Roma 2017, pp. 345-513: Poetic Edda and Eddic poetry, Skaldic poetry, Snorri Sturluson, Snorri’s Edda (Prose Edda), sagas, Icelandic and Norwegian historiographical and juridical texts, literature in translation in West-Scandinavian area, grammatical literature, runic poems

3) Reading, translation and analysis of a passage from the Prose Edda (see 6)

4) Reference grammar: Michael Barnes, A New Introduction to Old Norse. Part I: Grammar, London 2008³, http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/NION-1-pdf (alternatively: E.V. Gordon, An Introduction to Old Norse, second edition revised by A.R. Taylor, Oxford 1957 or Yvonne S. Bonnetain, Breve grammatica dell’islandese antico, trad. it. a cura di Paolo Marelli, Trieste 2001, both to be found at the library of the Struttura didattica speciale di lingue e letterature straniere)

5) Reference dictionary: Richard Cleasby, Gudbrand Vigfusson, An Icelandic-English Dictionary, Oxford 1874, http://www.ling.upenn.edu/~kurisuto/germanic/oi_cleasbyvigfusson_about.html

6) Further materials (students can download the materials from the Filologia germanica Studium webpage; registration required).

7) Further readings: Jörg Jarnut, Storia dei Longobardi, transl. Paola Guglielmotti, Torino, 1995 and more recent editions and reprints (c. 162 pp.).

8) During the semester seminars will be organised on various aspects of Germanic ancient languages and cultures. 

N.B. Grammar texts and dictionaries are consultation works.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library.

An ongoing written test is foreseen which will not be compulsory, will be open to all attending and non-attending students, will consist of a series of structured questions and will cover topics relating to the events of the Germanic tribes in late antiquity and in the early Middle Ages. and the fundamental concepts of Germanic linguistics. The use of dictionaries, reference texts and electronic sources will not be allowed. The test will last one hour and will be evaluated out of thirty based on the relevance, completeness and linguistic correctness of the answer. The grade of the test, for students who have taken it, will be taken into account during the final oral exam (about 35% of the exam). Anyone who has obtained an unsatisfactory assessment in the ongoing assessment will be able to take the entire exam in oral form.

The final oral exam will take into account the mastery of the topics, the knowledge of the disciplinary lexicon, the expository and argumentative skills and the ability to relate the knowledge acquired and to apply them critically and independently. Sufficiency is reached when the candidates are able to correctly place the events on a historical and geographical level and know at least the fundamentals of the topics under examination.

The evaluation criteria in their detailed form will be adequately publicized.

Criteria of evaluation (oral exams)