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Towards language universals through lexical semantics: introduction to lexical and semantic typology

Approx. 14 hours to complete

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Course Summary

This course is all about exploring the relationship between meaning and structure of words in different languages. Students will learn the basics of lexical semantics and typological methods to understand how words are organized and categorized in various languages.

Key Learning Points

Understand the fundamental concepts of lexical semantics and typology
Explore different languages and their word structure and meaning
Learn how to analyze and compare lexical semantics across languages

Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have

Linguist
- USA: $69,000
- India: ₹4,78,000
- Spain: €28,000
Language Researcher
- USA: $72,000
- India: ₹5,00,000
- Spain: €30,000
Translation Specialist
- USA: $56,000
- India: ₹3,89,000
- Spain: €23,000

Learning Outcomes

Develop a deeper understanding of lexical semantics and how it relates to language structure
Learn to analyze and compare lexical semantics across different languages
Be able to apply typological methods to language analysis and research

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of linguistics
Familiarity with linguistic terminology

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Online
Self-paced

Similar Courses

Language Universals and Linguistic Typology
Morphological Typology
Introduction to Natural Language Processing

Related Education Paths

Notable People in This Field

Noam Chomsky
Steven Pinker

Related Books

Description

The aim of the course is to obtain the idea of the lexicon as a complex system and to get the methodology of the typological approach to the lexicon cross-linguistically, as well as to learn about the general mechanisms of semantic shift and their typological relevance.

By the end of the course the students should know the basic principles of lexical organization, the main parameters of semantic variations in lexicon, and be able to apply the basic methods of the analysis of lexical meaning to different lexical domains. The course is designed for students of linguistic programs (BA, MA, PhD), as well as for teachers and researchers in the named field. The course contains the overview of different approaches to the semantic description of lexical items and lexical systems in different languages and discusses the methodology of Moscow Lexical Typology Group (lecture 1). This methodology (“frame approach”) is illustrated with the data of the following domains: aquamotion verbs (lecture 2), verbs of falling (lecture 3), adjectives denoting oldness (lecture 4) and pain metaphors (lecture 5 and 6). The results of the analyses are visualized with specially constructed lexical semantic maps. Do you have technical problems? Write to us: coursera@hse.ru

Outline

What is special about lexical typology: methodological issues
About the University
About us. General remarks
Groups and names
MLEXT Methodology
Linguistic resources for lexical typology
Theoretical background
About University
Rules on the academic integrity in the course

Does the octopus swim? AQUA-motion in cross-linguistic perspective
Introduction
Semantic maps: Strategies of colexification-1
Strategies of colexification-2: Additional oppositions
Strategies of colexification-3
Meaning shifts-1
Meaning shifts-2
Lack of standard metaphors

Jack and Jill fell down the hill: Typological approach to verbs of falling
Typology of verbs of motion
Falling: Semantic space
Oppositions between the main frames
Related semantic fields
Metaphors of falling

How do we think about oldness?
Introduction
Semantics of ‘OLD’
Typological results: How do languages structure the domain of ‘OLD’?
Additional oppositions

Words that change their meaning: pain metaphors and pain constructions. Part 1
Introduction
General issue
The first question
Morphology of pain constructions

Words that change their meaning: pain metaphors and pain constructions. Part 2
Morphosyntax of pain constructions
Syntax of pain constructions: General remarks
Syntactic patterns of pain constructions
Semantics of pain constructions
Conclusion

Summary of User Reviews

The Lexical Semantic Typology course on Coursera has received positive reviews from many users. The course teaches the relationship between meanings of words and their grammatical structure. Users appreciated the well-structured content and engaging lectures.