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Introduction to the History of English

Autumn 2009     Call Number: 10722     Credit/Hours:U & G 5
Instructor: Markels      Location: Denney Hall 206
Days: Tuesday, Thursday
Start Time: 11:30am     Length: 2 Hours

Course Description:

A study of the historical development of English giving attention to social factors associated with language changes in the phonology, morphology, syntax, lexicon, and discourse structure.
This course traces the development of English, in less than two thousand years, from an obscure Germanic dialect of Northern Europe spoken by a few thousand people to a world language spoken and used daily by hundreds of millions. Besides studying the physical changes in the language, we will also consider the cultural, social, and political phenomena such as conquest, social status, and migration, which caused, impeded, or encouraged these changes and thus get a glimpse into language change in general. Along the way, we?ll try to answer questions such as how many Englishes there are; where, when, and why the notion of Standard English arose; where our words come from; why our spelling system is so lousy; and how the Internet affects our language today. Texts: A History of English, Barbara A. Fennell; Requirements: Midterm, final exam, and two short (3-4 pages) projects.

Prereq: 10 cr hrs of English at 200 or 300 level or equiv, or permission of instructor. Not open to students with credit for 274.


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