In this course, we will survey several methods used in the classification of languages and explore what each reveals about the relationships and range of variation found in the world's languages, considering alternative approaches to each dimension of classifications and the controversies associated with them. We will survey representative languages and language families in various parts of the world, examining some sample languages in greater depth to discover how they fit into the classification systems examined earlier. For each area, specific linguistic phenomena, which are particularly well-developed in that area, will be examined and compared, where appropriate, to related structures in more familiar languages, to illustrate both the range of structural variation available to human languages and the limitations on that variation. Grammatical studies of selected languages in each region will illustrate these structures within the larger context of particular grammatical systems. In the semester-long term paper project, students will develop an elementary sketch of the grammar of a language of their choice, based on existing literature and research.
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