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Introduction to Old and Middle English: Part I

Introduction to Old and Middle English: Part I. Overview October 28, 2005 Andreas H. Jucker. Bible translations. Old English (450-1150) West Saxon (WS), ca 1000 Middle English (1150-1500) Late Version of Wycliffe Bible (LV), 1390 Early Modern English (1500-1700)

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Introduction to Old and Middle English: Part I

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  1. Introduction to Old and Middle English:Part I Overview October 28, 2005 Andreas H. Jucker

  2. Bible translations • Old English (450-1150) • West Saxon (WS), ca 1000 • Middle English (1150-1500) • Late Version of Wycliffe Bible (LV), 1390 • Early Modern English (1500-1700) • William Tyndale (TY), 1534 • Modern English (1700-present) • The Revised English Bible (REB), 1989 Source: Görlach 1997: 2, 160-1

  3. Primary aims of this course • Read and translate OE (ME) texts (with help) • Understand main principles of • OE (ME) syntax, morphology, phonology • language change • Get to know background of history and culture of Medieval Britain

  4. Secondary aims of this course • Use the scholarly resources of historical linguistics • Glossaries • Dictionaries • Grammars • Libraries • Online resources • Make use of an eLearning environment • Write a short paper in historical linguistics

  5. Teaching formats • Self study (book and online) • Group work (in class and online) • Class discussions • Lectures

  6. Resources: Printed

  7. Resources: Online http://www.es.unizh.ch/ahjucker/proseminarW05.htm

  8. Prof. Dr. Andreas H. Jucker Teacher Dr. Guillaume Schiltz Resource developer Dr. Andreas Langlotz Resource developer Dr. Christian Schorno eLearning coordinator, Univ. of Zurich Nicolle Joho Assistant teacher (Tutorin) People

  9. Old English Introduction to pronunciation, morphology and syntax of Old English Texts (Bible, history, philosophy, literature) History and culture Historical linguistics Middle English Introduction to pronunciation, morphology and syntax of Middle English Texts (Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales) History and culture Historical linguistics Course overview

  10. Periodisation • Old English: 450-1150 • Middle English: 1150 - 1500 • Early Modern English: 1500 - 1700 • Modern English: 1700 - present

  11. Internal Common features at the levels of vocabulary phonology morphology syntax External Political and cultural events that had an influence on the development of the language Justification for periods

  12. Fully inflected Relatively free word order Germanic vocabulary 449: Britain invaded by Germanic tribes 597 Augustine started Christianisation c. 725: approximate date of oral composition of Beowulf Old English:450 - 1150

  13. Reduced inflections Increasingly fixed word order French and Latin official languages French influence on English vocabulary 1066: Norman conquest 1340?-1400: Geoffrey Chaucer Middle English:1150 - 1500

  14. Levelled inflections Fixed word order Latin and Greek influence on vocabulary Increasing standardisation 1476: Caxton’s printing press Reformation Renaissance 1564-1616: William Shakespeare Early Modern English:1500-1700

  15. Codification of Standard English International Englishes 17th, 18th c.: Grammars and dictionaries 20th c.: telephone, TV, etc. 1990s: Internet Modern English:1700 - present

  16. synchronic diachronic Diachrony — Synchrony • Old English • Middle English • Early Modern English • Modern English

  17. Diachronic and synchronic linguistics • Diachronic linguistics • The study of languages from the viewpoint of their development through time; also called historical linguistics. • Synchronic linguistics • The study of languages at a theoretical single point in time • Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913)

  18. Diachrony and synchrony: Problems • No clear-cut boundaries between different stages • No synchronic stages without variation • No diachronic change without synchronic variation

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