Penn State Penn State: College of the Liberal Arts

Department ofClassics and Ancient
Mediterranean Studies

CAMS 490: Ancient Mediterranean Languages

CAMS 490: Ancient Mediterranean Languages

Variable topic study of an ancient language of the Mediterranean basin and related areas, other than Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. CAMS 490 Ancient Mediterranean Languages (3-6)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. CAMS 490 is a variable topic course in ancient languages, other than Greek, Latin, and Hebrew, that are offered by the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies. The course expands the range of ancient languages of areas in the Mediterranean region which students may study at Penn State. The course permits students of Latin, Greek, or Hebrew to learn the basics of other ancient Mediterranean languages, thereby extending their understanding of the structural similarities and differences of the region’s writing systems. The languages taught at present include Egyptian and Sanskrit. Other languages, such as Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, or Aramaic may be offered in future years. The course consists of three major components: The course begins with an overview of the language of study with respect to the language systems of the ancient Mediterranean world in a historical context. Next students learn the essential features of the language of study including its forms, grammar, and lexicon. In the second part of the semester, students read selected texts of various genres as appropriate, including literary and historical texts and inscriptions. The known features of the oral language will also be discussed. The course complements advanced courses such as LATIN 45OW, The History of the Latin Language, and other advanced language offerings in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. It also complements offerings in historical-comparative and Indo-European linguistics such as LING 102(GH).

Instructor: TBD