Dr Krishnan Ram-Prasad

My research spans two distinct but overlapping areas of linguistics: Comparative Philology and Historical Syntax. My particular focus is on syntactic reconstruction and Proto-Indo-European.  My first major project, encompassing my PhD thesis (2022) and my first book (in prep), investigates the structure of relative clauses in Proto-Indo-European within the theoretical framework of Minimalist syntax. I also have smaller projects addressing specific points of syntactic interest within the attested ancient Indo-European languages. 

At a broader level, my research leads me to focus closely on the links between synchronic and diachronic syntax, grammaticalisation, and language change at large. In the course of my research I have worked across a wide range of Indo-European languages, both ancient and modern; those I have a particular specialism in include Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit and Hittite.

Alongside my linguistic research, I have a commitment to decolonising Classics and the study of the ancient world more generally. In this connection, I work on the role Comparative Philology can play in a critical reassessment of the wider discipline.

I tutor for various undergraduate courses in both General Linguistics and Classical Philology. I have also taught language classes in Latin, Ancient Greek, Sanskrit and Old English.