Spring, 2002

Jennifer Bryan

English 239

Rice 26 (440) 775-8586

MWF 11:00-11:50    King 306
E-mail: Jennifer.Bryan@oberlin.edu

Office Hours: M, 3:30-4:30, W, 1:30-2:30,
F, 9:00-10:00, and by appointment

History and Structure of the English Language

Course goals: 

This course is a very broad survey of the history of English, from its Indo-European roots to the present day.  It is not a course in linguistics, or history, or literature, or culture, but a combination of all of these, and our approaches will vary accordingly.  Students should gain some familiarity with general methods of language study; they should become more aware of the ways in which language and culture interact; they should develop a heightened sensitivity to their own use of language and its implications; and they should acquire a working knowledge of the course of English language history and the ways in which that history is preserved in the language we now speak.   

We are going to be moving very quickly, and each day's mastery of course material will depend on the mastery of what came before.  You will benefit most from the class if you can sustain a daily commitment. 

Required Text: 

Pyles & Algeo, The Origins and Development of the English Language

You should also purchase a folder in which to collect ERES printouts and handouts,and you should set aside some textbook money for printing and/or copying.

You should print out all ERES assignments; you will be held responsible for them.  Everything on ERES is also on regular reserve, should you prefer photocopying to printing.   Please do not wait until the last minute to access the assignments, and please let me know immediately if you encounter any problems.

Books On Reserve:

Akmajian et. al.  Linguistics:  An Introduction to Language and Communication.
Baugh and Cable.  A History of the English Language
Bede.  The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Crystal, David.  The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language
Hall, J.R. Clark.  A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary
Hogg, ed.  The Cambridge History of the English Language
Mosse, Ferdinand.  A Handbook of Middle English
Watkins, ed.  The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots

Useful Electronic Resources: 

Oxford English Dictionary: online at http://dictionary.oed.com/entrance.dtl (you can get here through the library's home page); hard copy in Main Reference

Middle English Dictionary: online at http://ets.umdl.umich.edu/m/med/; hard copy in Main Reference

CourseInfo blackboard:  Remember that it's there.  You can use the "communication"page to email any or all members of the class.  You can also use the discussion board to post your musings about life and language at Oberlin.  Eventually it should have links to the OED and other important sites. 

Grades will be based on:

  1. Regular (sometimes daily) short assignments, to be graded credit/no credit unless otherwise specified.  Most of these are learning exercises, but the effort you put into them will be crucial to your comprehension of course material.  Please collect your completed assignments in a portfolio.  Your preparation for and participation in class will also be consider
  2. Three hour exams       (together, 30%)
  3. A final exam             
  4. Short essay 1:  A biography of one English word (15%)
  5. Short essay 2:  A  project, report, or prospectus on a linguistic topic of your choice  (15%)

    (N.B:  Although a few of the short assignments do appear on the syllabus, most will be given in class.)


WEEK ONE

    2/4 M Introductions
    2/6  W   

    Introduction to Language Study
    Pyles & Algeo, ch. 1 entire (1-24)
    ERES: Bryson, "The Dawn of Language"(21-27), "Global Lanuguage"
    (35-38), Hollander & Donnelly, "Adam and Eve,"Carroll, from Through the Looking Glass

    2/8  F

    The Sounds of English
    Pyles & Algeo, ch. 2 entire (25-41)
    ERES:  Cable wkbk, "The Sounds of English"(1-8);  Milward
    wkbk, "Reading Transcription"(30)



WEEK TWO

    2/11 M

    Writing Systems
    Pyles & Algeo, ch. 3 entire (42-60)

    2/13 W

    Semantic Change
    ERES:  Trudgill, "Myth 1:  The Meaning of Words Should Not
    Be Allowed to Vary or Change"(1-8).
    Pyles & Algeo, ch. 10 entire (237-257).  Skim as much of ch. 11 as you can. 
    2/15 F First hour exam



WEEK THREE

(N.B:  you will need to watch "The Story of English, pt. 2,"first 22 minutes only, before Wednesday, so you may want to head to the library over the weekend. VCR 267 pt. 2:  "The Mother Tongue."
If you watch more than is assigned, you will just have to watch it again in class, so stop when they start talking about the Vikings.)
2/18 M Indo-European language
Pyles & Algeo, ch. 4 entire (61-94).
ERES:  Algeo wkbk, "language types,"78-82; "Indo-European Languages"
2/20 W

Old English:  Introduction
Pyles & Algeo 95-102 (History)
Required viewing:  "The Story of English, vol. 2:  The Mother Tongue," first 22 minutes.

Assignment:  Old English, first analysis
2/22 F Old English:  Pronunciation, Spelling, Vocabulary
Pyles & Algeo 102-108
ERES:  Baugh & Cable, "The Resourcefulness of Old English Vocabulary" (62-67); "Latin loanwords"(75-89)


WEEK FOUR

2/25 M Old English:  Writing
2/27 W Old English:  Inflections
Pyles & Algeo, 108-119 (stop at "verbs"). 
ERES:  Baugh & Cable wkbk, 27-29, 32-33 (explanation of OE cases)
3/1 F Old English:  Verbs
Pyles & Algeo, 119-127



WEEK FIVE

3/4 M

Old English:  Syntax
Pyles & Algeo, 128-133
3/6 W Old English:  The Scandanavian Influence
ERES:  Baugh & Cable, "Scandanavian Influence,"90-103
3/8 F Old English Poetry
ERES:  Bede's Account of Caedmon's Hymn; Beowulf's fight with Grendel's mother



WEEK SIX

3/10 M Old English Poetry and Review
3/12 W Second hour exam
3/14 F The Transition to Middle English:  Norman Conquest and After
Pyles & Algeo, 134-140; also "French loanwords,"295-297
Assignment:  Middle English, first analysis



WEEK SEVEN

3/17 M Middle English:  Pronunciation and Writing
 Pyles & Algeo, 140-151
3/19 W Early Middle English; Inflections
Pyles & Algeo, 151-163
3/21 F (Reading Practice)


SPRING BREAK


WEEK EIGHT

4/1 M Middle English
ERES:  Milward, "Middle English Syntax"exercise
4/3  W Midde English
ERES:  Baugh & Cable, "General Adoption of English in the 14th Century,"140-151.
4/5  F Middle English Poetry
Readings in Middle English Poetry 



WEEK NINE

4/8 M  Chaucer and After
DUE:  Word Biography
4/10 W  Late Middle English and Review
4/12 F  Third hour exam


WEEK TEN (N.B:  The syllabus from this point on is provisional, and not all readings are given.  An updated version will be provided after spring break.)
4/15  M

Early Modern English
Pyles & Algeo, ch. 7 entire (165-181)             

4/17  W Early Modern English
Pyles & Algeo, 181-206
4/19  F Early Modern English   



WEEK ELEVEN

4/22 M MEET IN MUDD SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
 Pyles & Algeo, 206-210		  
4/24 W The Eighteenth Century  
4/26 F  The Eighteenth Century  



WEEK TWELVE

4/29  

M

 American English
 Pyles & Algeo, ch. 9 entire (212-236)
5/1 W American English
5/3 F American English/ Black English



WEEK THIRTEEN

5/6

M

 Black English
5/8 W Recent Language
5/10 F IssuesConclusion
DUE:  Individual Projects
May 16th Thursday,
7:00 p.m.		 FINAL EXAM