Course Description
This course explores the cultural, political, and linguistic forces that have shaped the 1,200-year history and anticipates the future(s) of the English language. As familiar as English may be too many of us, we modern speakers hardly recognize the language of Beowulf as even related to the poetry of Hip-Hop or Rap music. Nevertheless, many of the words and forms found in today's hip-hop music (e.g., ain't, multiple negation) have long and complicated stories to tell us about the development of the English language. This course will investigate these (and other) stories as it traces the general sound, word, and grammatical changes the language has undergone in its transition from Old to Middle to Early Modern to Modern English.
The course goals are:
- > To understand language as systematic at every level: from sounds (phonology) to the structure of words (morphology), from sentence patterns (syntax) to meanings (semantics);
- > To observe and appreciate the social, cultural, and political influences on language change (and on speakers);
- > To explore manuscript and print culture as the necessary foundation for future digital textualities;
- > To validate and respect a variety of dialects as systematic and legitimate, though often socially unequal, forms of language;
- > To enjoy the English language - past, present, and future!
In addition, we will be exploring the various ways that current technologies enhance the study of the history of English. We will look for connections between manuscript and digital culture, between textual and hypertextual scholarship. We will ask how the internet is changing our language today and how the resources of online communities can enhance our understanding(s) of global communication systems.
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