The Catholic University of America Department of Semitic & Egyptian Languages & Literatures Summer Sessions 2015 Summer Session 15: May 18, 2015-June 20, 2015 SEM 533: Basic Syriac Credit Hours: 3 Classroom & Time: MWF 12:00pm-2:30pm Instructor: Morgan Reed, M.A. Ph.D. student, The Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures 035 Mullen Library Tel. 707-318-4934 Email. 12reed@cardinalmail.cua.edu Office hours: by appointment Course Description: The fundamentals of literary Syriac phonology, morphology, and syntax, followed by selected readings. This introduction to classical Syriac is offered in an intensive format during summer school. Instructional Methods: Lecture, discussion, class reading (recitation and translation) of assigned Syriac texts, review of homework assignments and quizzes, introduction of reference tools, and a final exam. Required Text: Robinson's Paradigms and Exercises in Syriac Grammar. 6th edition. Revised by J. F. Coakley. New York: Oxford University Press, c2002. ISBN 0-19-926129-6 paperback ; ISBN 0-19-925409-5 hardback. *Available from amazon.com Recommended Texts: Theodor Nöldeke. Compendious Syriac Grammar. Reprint 2003; Wipf and Stock publishers. *Available at Wipf and Stock Publishers W.M. Thackston. Introduction to Syriac. Bethesda, MD: IBEX Publishers, 1999. Libraries: The CUA Libraries’ wide range of resources and services, including databases, online journals, and FAQs are on the main web site: http://libraries.cua.edu/ . Campus Resources for student support: Specialized library resources and services for Syriac studies are available in the Semitics/ ICOR Library, 035 Mullen Library http://libraries.cua.edu/semicoll/index.html . Consult the curator Dr. Blanchard (blanchard@cua.edu ; 202-319-5084) for assistance. Course Goals: The goal of the course is to acquire an introduction to classical Syriac through careful study of the required textbook. Students will work through all text exercises, both Syriac into English and English into Syriac. They will learn to read and write Syriac, with vowels and without, in three scripts: or Jacobite script (West Syriac), Nestorian script (East Syriac), and estrangela script. The textbook will be supplemented with class readings (recitation and translation) of selected Syriac texts. Goals for Student Learning: -1- At the conclusion of the course, the student will have acquired: 1) a basic understanding of the classical Syriac language; 2) basic familiarity with the language’s three major scripts (West Syriac/Jacobite, East Syriac/Nestorian, estrangela) and two major dialects (Eastern and Western). The student will be able to read simple texts with the aid of a dictionary. Expectations and Policies • Course Requirements • Preparation for active participation in each class section (unexcused absences will negatively affect the final grade). • Weekly quizzes • Complete all homework assignments • Final examination (on June 19th) Academic honesty: Academic honesty is expected of all CUA students. Faculty are required to initiate the imposition of sanctions when they find violations of academic honesty, such as plagiarism, improper use of a student’s own work, cheating, and fabrica- tion. The following sanctions are presented in the University procedures related to Student Academic Dishonesty (http://policies.cua.edu/academicundergrad/integrityprocedures.cfm): “The presumed sanction for undergraduate students for academic dishonesty will be failure for the course. There may be circumstances, however, where, perhaps because of an undergraduate student’s past record, a more serious sanction, such as suspension or expulsion, would be appropriate. In the context of graduate studies, the expectations for academic honesty are greater, and therefore the presumed sanction for dishonesty is likely to be more severe, e.g., expulsion. ...In the more unusual case, mitigating circumstances may exist that would warrant a lesser sanction than the presumed sanction.” Please review the complete texts of the University policy and procedures regarding Student Academic Dishonesty, including requirements for appeals, at http://integrity.cua.edu. Other Expectations: If you will miss class due to unavoidable circumstances, please inform the instructor by e-mail (12reed@cardinalmail.cua.edu). Accommodations for students with disabilities: Please contact your instructor privately to discuss specific needs. Information about CUA services and policies is available at Disability Support Services, room 207 Pryzbyla Center, tel. 202-319-5211, and on this website: http:/ /dss.cua.edu. Assessment Course Grades: The course assessment will be based upon the student’s performance in the course requirements listed above. University Grades: The University grading system is available at http://policies.cua.edu/ academicundergrad//gradesfull.cfm#ii for undergraduates and http://policies.cua.edu/ academicgrad//gradesfull.cfm#iii for graduate students. Reports of grades in courses are available at the end of each term on http://cardinalstation.cua.edu . Homework: Homework assignments and take-home quizzes are listed below on the course schedule. They will be graded with notes and corrections, and returned to students on the next class day. N.B. Additional homework exercises may be assigned by the instructor. Course schedule: Monday, May 18: Introduction, the scripts, pronunciation General Introduction to §1, 2, 3 & Appendix A: Pronunciation of the BGDKPT letters; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises from §2 and §3. -2- Supplemental Reading: Thackston, x-xxvii Wednesday, May 20: Pronouns, nouns/adjectives, suffixes Introduction to §4, 5 & 6; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises from Robinson, §4, §5 and §6 Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 3-8,19-32 Friday, May 22: Prepositions, Verbs: the perfect tense Introduction to §7 & 8; preview of exercises; ܳ *Quiz: Vocabulary §1-6 and pronominal suffixes on !#ܳ $; For next class: prepare exercises for §7 and §8 Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 9-18. Monday, May 25: Nouns and participles Introduction to § 9, 10 & 11; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises on pages §9, §10 and §11; read Appendix B: Estrangela script. Diacritical points. Supplemental Reading: Thackson, 3-8, 24-27, 38-50, 62-69. Wednesday, May 27: Irregular nouns, verbs: the imperfect tense, imperative, infinitive, the verb !‫ܗܘ‬. Introduction to § 12, 13 and 14; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises for §12, §13 and §14 Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 77-87; 119-127, 142-143 Friday, May 29: Gt-stem, D-stem, Dt-stem Introduction to §15 and 16; preview of exercises. *Quiz: Vocabulary § 7-14, noun states, perfect verb For next class: prepare exercises for §15 and §16. Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 94-99; 106-118. Monday, June 1: C-stem, Ct-stem, pronominal suffixes Introduction to §17, 18 and 19; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises for §17, §18 and §19. Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 100-105, 119-120. Wednesday, June 3: Weak verbs: I-nun, I-alaph Introduction to chapters 20 and 21; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises for §20 and §21. Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 78-81, 108-109. Friday, June 5: Weak verbs: I-yod, II-alaph Introduction to chapters 22 and 23; preview of exercises. *Quiz: Vocabulary Chapters 15-21, imperfect, G-stem, Gt-stem, D-stem, Dt-stem -3- For next class: prepare exercises for §22 and §23. Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 51, 80, 82, 108-109. Monday, June 8: Hollow Verbs, Geminate Verbs Introduction to chapters 24 and 25; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises for §24 and §25; Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 57-61, 81-82, 119-120. Wednesday, June 10: III-yod verbs Introduction to chapters 26 and 27; preview of exercises. For next class: prepare exercises for §26 and §27 Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 33-37, 63-64, 74, 88-90, 96-97, 102, 114. Friday, June 12: Pronominal suffixes on III-yod verbs, numbers Introduction to chapters 28 and 29; Appendix C: East Syriac Writing; preview of exercises. *Quiz: Vocabulary Chapters 22-27, II-yod and III-yod verbs, geminate and hollow verbs For next class: prepare exercises for §28 and §29 Supplemental Reading: Thackston, 57-61, 68-72, 81-82, 119-127. Monday, June 15: Texts Serto–pointed text; Hebrews 8 Wednesday, June 17: Finish Hebrews 8 Friday, June 19: Final exam- Translate Hebrews 8 and be prepared to parse verbs and identify nominal states. Summer Sessions Calendar http://summer.cua.edu/calendar/index.cfm Summer Sessions Website http://summer.cua.edu/ -4-