Introduction to ancient Indo-Iranian languages II - ASJ500072E

• Title: Introduction to ancient Indo-Iranian languages II
• Guaranteed by: Institute of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (21-USPV)
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Actual: from 2021
• Semester: summer
• Points: 2
• E-Credits: 4
• Examination process: summer s.:
• Hours per week, examination: summer s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: not taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Mgr. Martin Gális

Annotation

The course will deal with the ancient Indo-Iranian languages, which constitute a separate branch of Indo-
European language family. The participants will be acquainted with the most ancient languages of this branch,
namely with Vedic (sometimes called Old Indic or Old Indo-Aryan), Avestan (language of Zoroastrianism) and Old
Persian (language of Achaemenid inscriptions). The course will be divided into thematic units, which are
described below. From the linguistic point of view, there will be discussed the genetical affiliation to Indo-European
language family. The reasons and criteria for affiliation to this specific branch. There will be discussed and
analysed selected passages from single above-mentioned languages. In doing so, the participants will become
familiar with the usage of different aspects of material culture, religion and mythology of Indo-Iranian people.
Another topic, which will be touched upon in this course will be the usage of various writing systems and their
characteristics or geographical distribution of these languages.
The course is realized under the auspices of the Institute of Comparative Linguistics and is primarily intended for
students who attended the course Introduction to ancient Indo-Iranian languages (ASJ500071E).

Plan of the course:
1. Introductory lesson: acquaintance with literature (handbooks, dictionaries, grammars), online databases and
other sources.
2. General introduction: Indo-Iranian languages as branch of Indo-European languages.
3. Indo-Iranian languages, their classification and (geographical) distribution.
4. Attested sources of Indo-Iranian languages.
5. Writing systems and records.
6. Phonology and morphology of Indo-Iranian.
7. Analysis of selected passages from single languages.
8. Literary formulas and topoi.
9. Religion of Indo-Iranian people.
10. Mythology of Indo-Iranian people.
11. Material culture of Indo-Iranian people.

Requirements for attestation

Regular attendance (3 absence allowed; in case of distant teaching this requirement will be judged accordingly)
Active participation
Regular homework
Final test

Last update: Zemánek Petr, prof. PhDr., CSc. (12.01.2021)

Syllabus

Selected references:
Brandenstein, Wilhelm - Mayrhofer, Manfred (1964): Handbuch des Altpersischen (Weisbaden: Harrassowitz)

Fortson, Benjamin (2010): Indo-European language and culture: an introduction (Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishing). (Přehledný úvod do prajazyka a vývoje jednotlivých větví, spolu s cvičeními ke každé kapitole.)

Kent, Roland Grubb (1953): Old Persian. Grammar. Texts. Lexicon. Second edition (New Haven: American Oriental Society)

Martínez, Javier- Vaan, Michael de (2014): Introduction to Avestan, Translated by Ryan Sandell (Leiden-Boston : Brill)

Mayrhofer, Manfred (1978): Sanskrit-Grammatik mit sprachvergleichenden Erläuterungen (Berlin-New York: Walter de Gruyter)

Mayrhofer, Manfred (1986): Indogermanische Grammatik (Heidelberg: Carl Winter)

Meier-Brügger, Michael (2003): Indo-European linguistics. (Berlin: de Gruyter)

Meier-Brügger, Michael (2010): Indogermanische Sprachwissenschaft, 9., durchgearbeitete und ergänzte Auflage (Berlin- New York: de Gruyter)

Schmitt, Rüdiger (Ed.) (1989): Compendium Linguarum Iranicarum. (Wiesbaden: Reichert)

Schmitt, Rüdiger (1989): Altpersisch. In: Rüdiger Schmitt (ed.), Compendium Linguarum

Iranicarum, 56-85. (Wiesbaden: Reichert)

Skjærvø, Prods Oktor (1996): An Introduction to Old Persian (Cambridge: Harvard University Press)

Watkins, Calvert (1995): How to kill a dragon: aspects of Indo-European poetics (New York - Oxford: Oxford University Press)

West, Michael L. (2011): Old Avestan Syntax and Stylistics. With an edition of the texts (Berlin-Boston: Walter de Gruyter)

Windfuhr, Gernot (2009): Iranian Languages (London: Routledge)

Online resources:
For Avestan/ Iranian:

http://www.avesta-archive.com/

http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/texte2.htm#avest

http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/didact/idg/iran/avest/avestmss.htm

Online resources for Vedic/Indic:



https://vedaweb.uni-koeln.de/rigveda/view/index/0

http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/texte/etcs/ind/aind/ved/rv/mt/rv.htm

Last update: Zemánek Petr, prof. PhDr., CSc. (12.01.2021)