Syllabus

Lectures and hands-on practicals (30h) 

Week 1: Introduction to Historical Linguistics. The Comparative Method. The Parametric Comparison Method (PCM). Case Study: The Indo-European Language Family. Language trees and language contact. Case Study: The Balkan Sprachbund.

Week 2: Parameter Setting for PCM. Case study: Analysing Syntactic Parameters in Participants’ Languages. Data Visualisation: Gradient Maps of Principal Components and Their Historical Implications. Exploring Migrations and Cultural Contact through Linguistic Evidence. Clustering Techniques for Phylogenetic Tree Generation. Advanced Tools: Using Large Language Models (LLMs) for Parameter Evidence Collection.

In more detail:

Week 1 covers the basics of the classical (lexical-etymological) comparative method for phylogenetic reconstruction and a full introduction to the innovative syntactic-parametric method. The theory of parameters from the perspective of language typology and of language acquisition will be introduced. Then it will be shown how to apply current syntactic wisdom and models to define the grammar of a new language (set its parameters) starting from either speakers’ knowledge or portions of text. The place of historical linguistics among cognitive neurosciences will be discussed.

Week 2 focuses on applying the knowledge acquired in Week 1 to collecting data on syntactic parameters and its use in historical linguistics. Participants will systematically analyze the syntactic parameters of their chosen language by responding to a predefined set of questions for each parameter and documenting example sentences that serve as evidence. The collected data will be integrated with existing datasets to generate gradient maps of principal components in the tradition of Cavalli-Sforza’s work in genetic classification of populations, facilitating discussions on their potential relevance as evidence for historical migrations and cultural contact. Additionally, participants will acquire hands-on experience with clustering techniques derived from bioinformatics to construct phylogenetic trees based on the compiled data. The week will conclude with an exercise in employing large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, to assist in the identification and documentation of syntactic parameters of a given language.

Key Concepts and Selected Readings

I. Foundations of Parametric Syntax and Universal Grammar

• Core Readings:

  • Rizzi (2017): The Concept of Explanatory Adequacy

  • Guardiano & Longobardi (2017): Parameter Theory and Parametric Comparison

• Key Concepts:

  • Universal Grammar (UG): Principles vs. Parameters

  • Explanatory adequacy vs. descriptive and observational adequacy

  • Parameter theory: binary features and their role in syntactic variation

  • Structural uniformity and its implications for historical reconstruction

II. Learnability and Language Acquisition

• Core Readings:

  • Fodor & Sakas (2017): Learnability

  • Crisma, Guardiano & Longobardi (2020): Syntactic parameters and language learnability

• Key Concepts:

  • Triggering learning algorithms and the “subset principle”

  • The problem of ambiguity and “overparameterization”

  • Mapping parametric variation to observable linguistic data

  • Learnability constraints on historical parametric change

III. Methods in Parametric and Cognitive History

• Core Readings:

  • Longobardi (2003): Methods in Parametric Linguistics and Cognitive History

  • Crisma, Fabbris, Longobardi & Guardiano (2025): What Are Your Values

• Key Concepts:

  • Parametric comparison as a tool for historical linguistics

  • Cognitive interpretation of syntactic change

  • Value clustering and microvariation

  • Diachronic parametric mapping across language families

IV. Historical Syntax and Language Phylogenies

• Core Readings:

  • Guardiano & Longobardi (in press): Syntactic Methods for Language Phylogenies

• Key Concepts:

  • Syntax-based methods for reconstructing language family trees

  • Comparison with lexical phylogenetic methods

  • Cladistics and character-based phylogenies

  • Applications in Indo-European and other language families

References:

Rizzi, L. 2017. “The Concept of Explanatory Adequacy.” In I. Roberts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Universal Grammar, 97–113. 

Longobardi, G. 2003. “Methods in Parametric Linguistics and Cognitive History.” Linguistic Variation Yearbook 3: 101–138.

Fodor, J. D. & W. G. Sakas. 2017. “Learnability.” In I. Roberts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Universal Grammar, 249–269.

Crisma, P., C. Guardiano & G. Longobardi. 2020. “Syntactic Parameters and Language Learnability.” Studi e Saggi Linguistici 58: 99–130.

Crisma, P., G. Fabbris, G. Longobardi & C. Guardiano. 2025. “What Are Your Values?” Journal of Historical Syntax (Vol. 9, Art. 3).

Guardiano, C. & G. Longobardi. 2017. “Parameter Theory and Parametric Comparison.” In I. Roberts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Universal Grammar, 377–398.

Guardiano, C. & G. Longobardi. “Syntactic Methods for Language Phylogenies.” In A. Ledgeway (ed.), The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Diachronic Linguistics (in press).