This course surveys some of the principal areas of research in
historical linguistics, including language change at the lexical,
phonological, morphological, and syntactic levels of grammar, the
relationship between languages, the comparative method and internal
reconstruction, innovation and propagation of language change, and
language contact and the birth and death of languages.
The goals for the course are threefold: that students become
knowledgeable of the basic areas of historical linguistics, the
basic questions asked and discussed in the field, and the general
methodologies employed in carrying out research in historical
linguistics; that they develop a sense of what kinds of thinking are
necessary to frame a question from the perspective of historical
linguistics and learn the skills to be able to come up with and
assess possible responses to the question; and that they become
aware of their own intellectual development as they learn more about
different aspects of historical linguistics and develop the skills
to critically examine and research different historical linguistic
questions.
A more general goal is that students develop an understanding of how
other areas of linguistics (phonology, morphology, syntax, lexical
semantics, sociolinguistics, contact linguistics) relate to
historical linguistics and to broader areas of language change and
linguistic theory.

Text: R. L. Trask, 1996, Historical Linguistics, London: Arnold.
Please contact Dr. Clements (clements@indiana.edu) for details on
how to obtain copies of this text book.