About Linguistics

Linguistics, the systematic study of human language, lies at the crossroads of the humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences. Linguists, then, are not necessarily individuals who can speak multiple languages, but rather, individuals who have acquired specialized training in the art and science of analyzing patterns of language structure and language use.

Students pursuing a degree in linguistics take courses in three core areas:

• Sound systems (phonetics & phonology)
• Grammar (morphology & syntax)
• Meaning & use (semantics & pragmatics)

Beyond the areas of research represented in the core curriculum, the department has special strengths in:

• Experimental linguistics
• Field linguistics
• Corpus linguistics
• Documentation of lesser-studied/endangered languages

Faculty

Members of the faculty have published linguistic work on languages spoken across the globe, including:

• North America and Europe (English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Tohono O'odham)
• Asia and Austronesia (Bai, Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese)
• Africa (Dinka, Hausa, Ngas, Somali)