English 209: History of the English Language
Initial Discussion Topics:
By beginning our examination of the history of English by asking a few questions about its value, we may illuminate some of the larger issues which will occupy our attention this term:
Who would be interested in the history of English?
1) Those with an interest in studying English literature, especially literature before 1800 or post-colonial Anglophone literature.
2) Those with an interest in teaching English language or literature at any level.
3) Those with an interest in Northern European history, English history, North American history, the history of European colonization, the history of particular ethnic or cultural groups affected by European colonization, or the relationship between social history and linguistic change.
4) Those with an interest in linguistics, especially comparative linguistics or socio-linguistics.
5) Those with an interest in German, Dutch, or the Scandinavian languages and literatures.
6) Those with an interest in the Classical languages and their relationship to the Modern languages.
7) Those with an interest in the Romance languages and their relationship to English.
What sorts of things will we study in this course?
1) The nature of language as a dynamic, constantly changing human activity, and the reasons for and consequences of our constant attempts to halt this change.
2) The development of Present Day English from its earliest (pre-historical) ancestors--Indo-European and Proto-Germanic--through the historical changes of the Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English periods, and across the wide and vibrant spectrum of American, British, and post-colonial Present Day English.
3) The relationship between language and culture, and between cultural change and linguistic change.
4) The relationship between spoken and written English.
5) Fact and fiction concerning such concepts as “dialect”, “accent”, “pronunciation”, and “grammar”.
6) The relationship of a “pidgin” to a “creole”, and what both have to tell us about linguistic development, the history of trade, and the legacy of colonialism.
7) The relationship between factors such as region, class, and background, and various spoken varieties of Present Day English.
8) The relationship between language and national, cultural, and ethnic identity.
What about practical benefits?
1) You will leave this course with skills designed to allow you to analyze language in a descriptive (rather than prescriptive) manner.
2) You will gain from this course an understanding of language as a dynamic and fluid, rather than static and monolithic, aspect of culture, and you will develop an appreciation of language as an integral part of culture, and language change as necessarily linked to cultural change.
3) Learning about the historical development of English will provide you with a much deeper knowledge of the way English is structured; this knowledge will be based upon a realization of why the language came to be structured the way it is, and how it came to be structured in that way. Many seemingly arbitrary and illogical facets of the language will begin to make sense to you, and you therefore will gain greater confidence and ability in the use and appreciation of Present Day English (and especially Standard Written English) through your understanding of the historical and cultural context of the language.
4) In this course you will learn a great deal about the relationship between English and other languages, and between various dialects and linguistic groups. It is my hope that such insight will foster a greater appreciation and respect for cultural diversity and autonomy--over time and geographical area, and across ethnic and socio-economic groups-- as such diversity and autonomy is reflected in language. Diversity in language (and specifically in English) is not, by any means, new.
5) You will gain a greater awareness of patterns of historical change in English; these patterns form the “big picture”, a context within which current concerns about “the state of the language”, linguistic change, and diversity in the language begin to make sense.
6) Finally, it is my hope that this course will instill in you an interest in further study of the English language, its history and literature, while also providing you with the tools necessary to proceed with such further study on your own.
Initial Discussion Topics:
By beginning our examination of the history of English by asking a few questions about its value, we may illuminate some of the larger issues which will occupy our attention this term:
Who would be interested in the history of English?
1) Those with an interest in studying English literature, especially literature before 1800 or post-colonial Anglophone literature.
2) Those with an interest in teaching English language or literature at any level.
3) Those with an interest in Northern European history, English history, North American history, the history of European colonization, the history of particular ethnic or cultural groups affected by European colonization, or the relationship between social history and linguistic change.
4) Those with an interest in linguistics, especially comparative linguistics or socio-linguistics.
5) Those with an interest in German, Dutch, or the Scandinavian languages and literatures.
6) Those with an interest in the Classical languages and their relationship to the Modern languages.
7) Those with an interest in the Romance languages and their relationship to English.
What sorts of things will we study in this course?
1) The nature of language as a dynamic, constantly changing human activity, and the reasons for and consequences of our constant attempts to halt this change.
2) The development of Present Day English from its earliest (pre-historical) ancestors--Indo-European and Proto-Germanic--through the historical changes of the Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English periods, and across the wide and vibrant spectrum of American, British, and post-colonial Present Day English.
3) The relationship between language and culture, and between cultural change and linguistic change.
4) The relationship between spoken and written English.
5) Fact and fiction concerning such concepts as “dialect”, “accent”, “pronunciation”, and “grammar”.
6) The relationship of a “pidgin” to a “creole”, and what both have to tell us about linguistic development, the history of trade, and the legacy of colonialism.
7) The relationship between factors such as region, class, and background, and various spoken varieties of Present Day English.
8) The relationship between language and national, cultural, and ethnic identity.
What about practical benefits?
1) You will leave this course with skills designed to allow you to analyze language in a descriptive (rather than prescriptive) manner.
2) You will gain from this course an understanding of language as a dynamic and fluid, rather than static and monolithic, aspect of culture, and you will develop an appreciation of language as an integral part of culture, and language change as necessarily linked to cultural change.
3) Learning about the historical development of English will provide you with a much deeper knowledge of the way English is structured; this knowledge will be based upon a realization of why the language came to be structured the way it is, and how it came to be structured in that way. Many seemingly arbitrary and illogical facets of the language will begin to make sense to you, and you therefore will gain greater confidence and ability in the use and appreciation of Present Day English (and especially Standard Written English) through your understanding of the historical and cultural context of the language.
4) In this course you will learn a great deal about the relationship between English and other languages, and between various dialects and linguistic groups. It is my hope that such insight will foster a greater appreciation and respect for cultural diversity and autonomy--over time and geographical area, and across ethnic and socio-economic groups-- as such diversity and autonomy is reflected in language. Diversity in language (and specifically in English) is not, by any means, new.
5) You will gain a greater awareness of patterns of historical change in English; these patterns form the “big picture”, a context within which current concerns about “the state of the language”, linguistic change, and diversity in the language begin to make sense.
6) Finally, it is my hope that this course will instill in you an interest in further study of the English language, its history and literature, while also providing you with the tools necessary to proceed with such further study on your own.
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