Identification of the boundaries of Portuguese and their historic-
political antecedents, study of the Portuguese language within
the context of other romance languages, trace the development of
Portuguese from Latin origins to modern, analyze texts from
different periods illustrating stages in the evolution of
Portuguese, and discuss the role of Portuguese as an international
language.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will write one research paper (15-20 pages),
four response papers (3-4 pages), six journal entries into the
course web log, and present two classes and a written summary.
Athena Title
History of the Portuguese Lang
Non-Traditional Format
Course will be offered approximately every two years.
Prerequisite
PORT 3030 or permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Not offered on a regular basis.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student will be able to identify the present geo-demographic boundaries of Portuguese and their historic-political antecedents.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to study the History of the Portuguese Language within the context of the other Romance Languages, especially Galician, Castilian/Spanish, Catalan, and French.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to trace the development of Portuguese from its Latin origins, to modern Portuguese, considering as landmarks its Galician-Portuguese phase, the Renaissance period, the 17th century in Portugal and Brazil, the diversification into Brazilian Portuguese, Luso-African creoles, and the 19th-century precursors of modern Portuguese.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to analyze texts from different periods illustrating different stages in the evolution of Portuguese from the “Notícia de Torto” the earliest extant document in Galician-Portuguese (13th century), to modern European, Brazilian, and African Portuguese. Whenever possible, contrast such texts with their counterparts in other Romance languages, with reference to their respective phonology, morphology, and syntax.
By the end of the course, the student will be able to discuss the role of Portuguese as an international language, the question of unity v. diversity, and the development of linguistic identities.
Topical Outline
The course will examine the History of the Portuguese Language from its Galician-Portuguese origins and relationship to Castilian and Catalan to its diversification into different variants: Brazilian and African Portuguese and creoles. The course includes references to Iberian dialectology and comparative phonology of the Iberian Romance languages and will be illustrated with texts, from the “Notícia de Torto,” the earliest extant document in Galician-Portuguese (13th century), to comparative analysis of parallel versions of medieval texts in Galician-Portuguese, Castilian, and French (extracts from the Post-Vulgate Demanda do Graal, 13th century). There will be also textual illustrations from different more recent periods and variants, namely Camões, the 19th century classics, early and contemporary Brazilian and African Portuguese, and creoles.
