LINGUIST 225S: Syntax and Morphology Research Seminar
Current topics in morphology, syntax, and their interaction. Meetings consist of presentation of ongoing research, discussion of theoretical and methodological advances in the field, professionalization workshops, practice talks, workshopping of abstracts and manuscripts, collaborative research project work, and discussion of readings.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
for credit
(up to 99 units total)
Instructors:
Gribanov, V. (PI)
;
Harizanov, B. (PI)
LINGUIST 230A: Introduction to Semantics and Pragmatics (LINGUIST 130A)
Linguistic meaning and its role in communication. Topics include logical semantics, conversational implicature, presupposition, and speech acts. Applications to issues in politics, the law, philosophy, advertising, and natural language processing. Those who have not taken logic, such as
PHIL 150
or 151, should attend section.
Last offered: Winter 2025
| Units: 4
LINGUIST 230B: Advanced Semantics
The primary goal of this course is to cover advanced topics in semantics and pragmatics that are central to research in those fields. Introduction to truth-conditional compositional semantics. Set theory, first- and higher-order logic, and the lambda calculus as they relate to the study of natural language meaning. Additional attention the meanings of tense/aspect markers and modals.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 2-4
Instructors:
Phillips, J. (PI)
LINGUIST 230C: Advanced Topics in Semantics & Pragmatics
We focus on a topic in the meaning and use of linguistic expressions to explore a number of central issues in semantics and pragmatics. These include quantification, binding, referentiality, presupposition, pragmatic inferences, context-dependency, indexicality, and systems of dynamic interpretation. Prerequisites:
LINGUIST 230B or permission of the instructor.
Last offered: Autumn 2024
| Units: 1-4
| Repeatable
5 times
(up to 20 units total)
LINGUIST 231A: Lexical and Compositional Semantics
Semantic properties of verbs and nouns, integrating lexical and compositional issues. Potential topics include aspect, argument relations, events, and the mass/count distinction. Points will be enriched by drawing on related insights from linguistic typology and cognitive science. Prerequisites:
LINGUIST 130A/230A,
LINGUIST 130B, or permission of instructor.
| Units: 4
LINGUIST 232A: Lexical Semantics
Introduction to issues in word meaning, focused primarily around verbs. Overview of the core semantic properties of verbs and the organization of the verb lexicon. Approaches to lexical semantic representation, including semantic role lists, proto-roles, and causal and aspectual theories of event conceptualization. Prerequisites:
Linguist 130A,
Linguist 130B, or permission of instructor.
Terms: Aut
| Units: 2-4
Instructors:
Levin, B. (PI)
LINGUIST 232B: Seminar in Lexical Semantics: Crosslinguistic Perspectives on Events
An investigation into the strategies languages use to describe events of various types with a focus on whether attested differences stem from disparate lexical and morphosyntactic resources available to individual languages or reflect alternate conceptualizations of event of certain types. Case studies may be drawn from the following domains: change of state, change of possession, change of psychological state, motion, surface contact, creation, and causation. Prerequisites:
Linguist 222A or 232A or permission of the instructor.
Last offered: Spring 2025
| Units: 2-4
LINGUIST 234: The Structure of Discourse: Theory and Applications (LINGUIST 134A)
This course examines the linguistic structure of discourse, with an emphasis on learning to identify the emergent structures of spontaneous conversations. Through class discussions and hands-on data analysis, students will explore how the structure of discourse is shaped by cognition, grammar, and social relationships. Specific topics include speech acts, inference and implicature, discourse cohesion, turn-taking, discourse markers, narrative, and repair.
Terms: Win
| Units: 2-4
Instructors:
Hilton, K. (PI)
;
WuWong, J. (TA)
LINGUIST 236: Seminar in Semantics: Conditionals
Discussion of the semantics and pragmatics of conditionals with a focus on recent developments in linguistics, analytic philosophy, and cognitive psychology.
Last offered: Winter 2021
| Units: 1-4
| Repeatable
for credit
LINGUIST 236S: Construction of Meaning Research Seminar
Current research on semantics, pragmatics, and adjacent fields that intersect with linguistic meaning. Meetings consist of presentation of recently published or ongoing research by local or invited faculty and students, discussion of readings, and workshopping of conference or journal submissions. May be repeated for credit.
Terms: Aut, Win, Spr
| Units: 1
| Repeatable
10 times
(up to 10 units total)
Instructors:
Phillips, J. (PI)