Slavic Philology
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This course explores the premodern linguistic and cultural history of the Slavic people, with a special emphasis on their interactions during the ancient and medieval periods. One of the main goals of this course is to provide a thorough understanding of Old Slavonic, the common written language of the Orthodox Slav world, through the study of its grammar and the reading of at least two texts written in this language.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: knowledge of the historical and cultural context of the development of the oldest Slavic civilization, analyzed from a comparative perspective; knowledge of the origin, evolution, and classification of the Slavic languages; knowledge of the grammar of Old Slavonic. Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to read, translate, and grammatically parse a text in Old Slavonic; ability to interpret and comment on an Old Slavonic text within its cultural and historical framework.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course consists of three parts:
A: An introduction to premodern Slavonic cultural and political history
B: An elementary grammar of Old Church Slavonic
C: The philosophy of language among Orthodox Slavs
Part A explores premodern Slavic cultural and political history, tracing the spread of Church Slavonic as the language of Orthodox Slavdom. Part B is dedicated to analyzing the sound and grammatical structure—the phonology and morphology—of Old Church Slavonic and reading texts written in this language. Part C examines the philosophy of language among Orthodox Slavs through a close reading of the 10th-century "Treatise on Letters" by Monk Chrabr.
Students who want to take 6 credits are required to attend parts A-B. Those who want to take 9 credits are required to attend parts A-B-C. The program is valid until September 2026.
A: An introduction to premodern Slavonic cultural and political history
B: An elementary grammar of Old Church Slavonic
C: The philosophy of language among Orthodox Slavs
Part A explores premodern Slavic cultural and political history, tracing the spread of Church Slavonic as the language of Orthodox Slavdom. Part B is dedicated to analyzing the sound and grammatical structure—the phonology and morphology—of Old Church Slavonic and reading texts written in this language. Part C examines the philosophy of language among Orthodox Slavs through a close reading of the 10th-century "Treatise on Letters" by Monk Chrabr.
Students who want to take 6 credits are required to attend parts A-B. Those who want to take 9 credits are required to attend parts A-B-C. The program is valid until September 2026.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is taught in Italian. Students enrolled in the BA Program in Foreign Languages must have completed the Glottology course. Basic knowledge of at least one Slavic language is recommended. Students enrolled in other BA or MA programs are invited to contact the lecturer to determine appropriate syllabus accommodations. Erasmus students with a basic knowledge of one Slavic language are encouraged to attend the course.
Teaching methods
The course is taught through weekly lectures. Lectures include reading and grammatical analysis of Old Church Slavonic texts and student presentations on specific cultural topics.
Teaching Resources
Most course materials, including texts for discussion in class, are available on the MyAriel site
Part A:
Marcello Garzaniti, Gli slavi. Storia, culture e lingue dalle origini ai giorni nostri, Carocci 2019, pp. 21-78, 111-231.
Part B:
Lettura di un passo dal Codex Marianus (Matteo 14: 25-29).
Alexander Schenker, The Dawn of Slavic, New Haven 1994, pp. 103-160
Part C:
Boris Uspenskij, "Glagolitic Script as a Manifestation of Sacred Knowledge", Studi Slavistici, 2013, 7-27
Robert Mathiesen, "A new reconstruction of the original Glagolitic alphabet", in Michael S. Flier, David J. Birnbaum, and Cynthia M. Vakareliyska, eds. Philology Broad and Deep: In Memoriam Horace G. Lunt. Bloomington, IN: Slavica, 2014, 187-213.
Selected passages from Monk Chrabr's "Treatise on the Letters"
Part A:
Marcello Garzaniti, Gli slavi. Storia, culture e lingue dalle origini ai giorni nostri, Carocci 2019, pp. 21-78, 111-231.
Part B:
Lettura di un passo dal Codex Marianus (Matteo 14: 25-29).
Alexander Schenker, The Dawn of Slavic, New Haven 1994, pp. 103-160
Part C:
Boris Uspenskij, "Glagolitic Script as a Manifestation of Sacred Knowledge", Studi Slavistici, 2013, 7-27
Robert Mathiesen, "A new reconstruction of the original Glagolitic alphabet", in Michael S. Flier, David J. Birnbaum, and Cynthia M. Vakareliyska, eds. Philology Broad and Deep: In Memoriam Horace G. Lunt. Bloomington, IN: Slavica, 2014, 187-213.
Selected passages from Monk Chrabr's "Treatise on the Letters"
Assessment methods and Criteria
Students are assessed by oral examination at the end of the course. The oral examination is structured as follows:
- Questions on the historical, cultural, and political background studied in part A
- Linguistic analysis of an Old Church Slavonic text read in class in part B
- Linguistic and literary analysis of a text read in class during part C
Distant learners are not required to perform the linguistic analysis of Old Church Slavonic texts.
Erasmus students are invited to contact the professor via email or during her office hours. Disabled students and students with specific learning disabilities should determine appropriate assessment accommodations with the lecturer and the University services for disabled students.
- Questions on the historical, cultural, and political background studied in part A
- Linguistic analysis of an Old Church Slavonic text read in class in part B
- Linguistic and literary analysis of a text read in class during part C
Distant learners are not required to perform the linguistic analysis of Old Church Slavonic texts.
Erasmus students are invited to contact the professor via email or during her office hours. Disabled students and students with specific learning disabilities should determine appropriate assessment accommodations with the lecturer and the University services for disabled students.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)