Linguistics

Graduate Co-ordinator: Arok Wolvengrey, PhD

Faculty Listing

Department Description

The program in linguistics offers graduate work leading to a special case MA degree for students who have completed a B.A. Honours degree in linguistics, or equivalent. Applicants should send a transcript showing a linguistics degree or showing the courses in linguistics which they have taken, along with a statement of areas of linguistics in which they would like to do graduate research for their MA thesis. Participating faculty members can then assess whether more linguistics courses are needed in a qualifying year and which ones, or whether the student is eligible for admission as a fully qualified graduate student. The statement of research interests will help us design possible thesis topics and outlines with the applicant, and to see which faculty might serve on the thesis committee and as thesis supervisor. The student who is admitted to the MA program will take a minimum of 15 credit hours of graduate level courses, including Linguistics 830 and 880. In addition, a minimum of 15 hours of thesis research is required (Linguistics 901) which can be taken over several semesters.

Participating faculty are housed in various departments of the university and its federated colleges, the only full-time linguistics personnel being in the department of Indian Languages, Literature and Linguistics in the First Nations University of Canada on the university campus. As such, the program has a primary focus on the linguistic structure of First Nations languages of the Americas.

Courses

LING 810 (410) Topics in Advanced Phonology (3)
Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in phonology. These may include: phonetic, phonemic, or morphophonemic categories, processes, or systems, in language particular studies, typological or universal studies, applied studies, and theoretical studies. Sample topics might include: English stress, Cree morphophonemics, African clicks, ablaut, or experimental phonetics.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 811 (411) Topics in Advanced Morphology (3)
Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in morphology. These may include: morphological categories, processes, or systems, in language particular studies, typological or universal studies, applied studies, or theoretical studies.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 812 (412) Topics in Advanced Semantics (3)
Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in semantics. These may include: semantic categories, processes, or systems, in language particular studies, typological or universal studies, applied studies, or theoretical studies. Semantic domains, semantic roles, synonymy, semantic change, lexicography, language and culture, cognition, metaphor, pragmatics, and prototype theory are sample topics.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 813 (413) Topics in Advanced Syntax (3)
Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in syntax. These may include: syntactic categories, processes or systems, in language particular studies, typological or universal studies, applied studies, or theoretical studies. Sample topics might include: anaphora, gapping, unaccusatives, government and binding vs. relational grammar, Algonquian obviation, negation, immediate constituent analysis, history of syntactic theory.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 820 Topics in Advanced Diachronic Linguistics (3)
Reading, research, discussion, and writing on advanced topics in diachronic linguistics. These may include: family tree vs. wave theory, linguistic reconstruction (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics), dialect continua, substratum languages, comparing proto-languages, processes of sound and meaning change, or reconstruction of culture and homeland through language.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 830 Language Universals (3)
An in-depth examination and evaluation of proposed language universals, both substantive and theoretical.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 880 (380) Research Design for Theses, Grants, and Publications (3)
A study of successful examples of linguistic theses as well as books, articles, and grant proposals. Both content and form will be practised and critiqued in a series of short papers.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 890AA-ZZ Directed Readings in Linguistics (3)
Special topics in advanced theoretical and applied linguistics.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program

LING 901 Research (1-15)
Thesis research.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program