While today the Indo-European language family comprises around 450 languages, spoken by 3,4 billion native speakers, this was not always the case: all Indo-European languages go back to a single ancestor language, Proto-Indo-European. This courses introduces the student to the world of Indo-European historical linguistics. We will cover

1. the daughter branches of the Indo-European family tree and some of their primary developments,
2. the method of reconstructing Proto-Indo-European and its most important features,
3. and what we know about the speakers of Proto-Indo-European, their original homeland, and culture.

• Level: No previous knowledge of Indo-European is required, but some familiarity with (historical) linguistics is recommended.
• Requirements: There will be a homework assignment (reading and exercises) before each class.
• Materials: Course materials will be provided by the teacher ahead of the summer school.

This course will examine the major phonological and morphological innovations that transformed Proto-Indo-European into Classical Latin. In addition, we will closely examine a selection of texts ranging from Very Old Latin to Very Late Latin. We will also address the position of Latin within the PIE family and within Italic, and the question of language contact in the Italian peninsula.

• Level: Knowledge of Latin morphology required (equivalent to 1 year of college Latin).
• Requirements: There will be small homework assignments.
• Materials: The course material will be distributed before the course.

This course introduces the Old East Iranian languages of the Avestan Zoroastrian corpus: Old Avestan (the Gāthās, Yasna Haptaŋhāiti), Middle Avestan, and Young Avestan. As a key witness alongside Vedic Sanskrit and Old Persian, Avestan is central to Indo-Iranian and Indo-European reconstruction. The course surveys the Avestan corpus, phonology, morphology, and syntax, highlighting correspondences with Vedic and other Indo-European languages. Students read selected liturgical, hymnal, and prose texts, assessing their linguistic, religious, and socio-cultural significance. Emphasis is placed on grammar, word-formation, ritual lexicon and phraseology.

• Level: No previous knowledge of Avestan is expected. The course is designed for students at beginner/intermediate level with interests in Historical and General Linguistics, Iranian, Indic, and Indo-European Studies, interested in language comparison and reconstruction. While a basic understanding of another ancient Indo-European language (such as Latin, Greek or Sanskrit) would be advantageous, it is not a prerequisite for attending this course.
• Requirements: Homework exercises and active discussion in class.
• Materials: Detailed bibliographies and presentations will be provided in class. For beginners, we strongly recommend: Martinez/de Vaan, Introduction to Avestan (for participant discounts please contact organizers). Please download Enyclopaedia Iranica online articles by Hoffmann (“Avestan Language I-III”), Kellens (“Avesta, the Holy Book of the Zoroastrians”), Gnoli (“Avestan Geography”), Boyce (“Avestan People”). More advanced students may wish to consult Cantera/Redard, “Introduction to Young Avestan”, Kellens/Redard, “Introduction à l’Avesta”. For information on Avestan religion and ritual in historical and comparative context, see Cantera, “A Substantial Change in the Approach to the Zoroastrian Long Liturgy”, Sadovski, Ritual formulae and ritual pragmatics in Veda and Avesta”, “Ritual Formulae, Structures, and Activities in Vedic and Avestan Liturgies”, and “A Step Forward in Reaching to the Indo-Iranian Backgrounds of the Avestan and Vedic Liturgies”.

This course, aimed at both Indologists and Indo-Europeanists, examines the historical development of Sanskrit grammar in order to explain its present form. In the first week, we will focus on the major phonological developments including the palatalization of the velars, Brugmann’s Law, Grassmann’s Law, and various laryngeal reflexes, with particular attention to the precise formulation of these sound laws and their relative chronology. We will also examine the sandhi rules and the phonological rationale underlying them. The second week will be devoted to historical morphology, covering nouns, pronouns, and verbs.

• Level: At least one year of Sanskrit would be an advantage.
• Materials: The course materials will be supplied.