239985 History of the English language (S) (SoSe 2014)

Have you ever wondered where so-called irregular verb forms such as go – went – gone come from (and why students have to learn them)? Similarly, you may have already thought about why children is the plural of child or why so many English words resemble Latin or French ones.

Many of these and similar questions can be answered from the past of the English language. This seminar is designed as an introduction to the history of English and will review the major periods (such as Old English, Middle English and so on) within this field. Within each period, we will have a look at the socio-cultural background involved, situations of contact with other languages, and change in the English language as illustrated in selections from among its many varieties.

Sample texts from each of the periods and geographic areas will be used to make the work more concrete. We will establish links between the present and the past as often as possible to add a new perspective to our view of Present Day English.

Bibliography

The reading for the course will be announced in the first session.