Joshua Phillips

What are the mechanisms by which natural languages “displace” discourse in terms of time and possibility space? An introduction to a range of temporal and modal phenomena as exhibited in natural language. We develop formal/model-theoretic tools based on intensional logics in view of better understanding the meaning of tense, aspectual and modal operators, the structure of these semantic domains, and their relation to other linguistic categories (including negation & evidentiality.)Pre- or co-requisite: LING 263/663 (or other introduction to formal semantics) or permission of instructor.

1 credit for Yale College students

This course can be applied towards the Humanities and Arts Yale College distributional requirement.

Investigation of systematic change in the domain of semantics and pragmatics. Empirical phenomena include grammaticalization and meaning change in at least the domains of tense, aspect, and modality and negation, as well as intensifiers. Focus on reconciling recent literature on grammaticalization, typological research and historical pragmatics with formal semantic studies.

Prerequisite: LING 263 or permission of instructor.

1 credit for Yale College students

Introduction to linguistics, with special emphasis on sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics. Study of grammatical illusions: expressions the parser mistakenly accepts as grammatical despite making little sense and grammatical sentences which the parser has difficulty processing. Emphasis also on illusions and misconceptions about language, such as the belief that women speak more than men, that “vocal fry” can harm your voice, and that double negation is illogical.

1 credit for Yale College students

Introduction to the complexity of the question “How many languages are there in the world?” Geographical and historical survey of the world’s languages; consideration of the ways in which languages can differ from one another. Language endangerment and the threat to world linguistic diversity it poses. Language reclamation and revitalization.

1 credit for Yale College students