SAST1135 - Introduction to South Asian Linguistics

This course introduces students to the phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and other linguistic aspects of South Asian languages. The course will help students understand the historical connections between South Asian languages and Sanskrit, and appreciate the common features they share with Sanskrit including sound systems, word structures, and the construction of sentences. In addition, the course will also survey topics related to sociolinguistics with respect to South Asia including language attitudes, bilingualism, language change, language contact, language variation, and other topics crucial to understanding the status of and relationships between languages in contemporary South Asia. The course is appropriate for those interested in expanding their knowledge of linguistics or those learning or interested in South Asian languages, offering scientific insights that help make unfamiliar linguistic structures more logical and easier to acquire.