01 TTH5 CAC 12250 GRISSOM MU-301
Where do the words you use every day come from? The English language has always been a dynamic mixture of influences, changing in response to social and political shifts in addition to linguistic processes. This course introduces students to a comprehensive history of the development of the English language, from its origins in Proto-Indo-European to its current form and diversity of dialects. Using methods of historical linguistics and linguistic description, the class will examine phonological, syntactical, orthographical, and dialectal changes over time. The class will also introduce students to representative literature from different periods of the language, and challenge students to consider their own unique linguistic situations. Sample literary texts will include select riddles (e.g., Riddle 12, Riddle 42) from the anonymous Old English Exeter Book; excerpts from the Middle English Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer; extracts from Early Modern English plays, like William Shakespeare's Macbeth; and shorter prose and poetic works from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.