The course addresses various aspects of historical change and
reconstruction:  (1) processes, models, and explanations of language
change; (2) methods of reconstruction (actively focusing on the
Comparative Method and Internal Reconstruction); and (3) principles
of phylogenetic classification and subgrouping.  Out-of-class work
will include ananlysis and reconstruction based on data from a
variety of language groups as well as several short writing
assignments.