Ger 8600: Medieval German, Seminar in Linguistics/Applied Linguistics

Spring 2014, Wednesdays 330-618p, Dr. Anna Grotans

This course will introduce you to the many varieties of medieval "German" from the earliest attested texts ca. 750 until ca. 1200 (chronologically Old and Middle, geographically Upper, Middle and Low German dialects). By the end of the semester you should be able to read texts from an assortment of genres with the help of a dictionary and grammar. Class sessions will consist of translation and a discussion of grammar, the development of the language and of the cultural context in which this took place. For example, we will discuss phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic innovations; how and why German came to parchment and how it was actually written; language use and choice. Students can choose to either write a seminar paper or to write 2-3 take-home exams. Knowledge of Modern German not necessary (but helpful). Knowledge of another historical Germanic language (Old English, Old Norse, Gothic) just as helpful.