Ye knowe ek that in forme of speche is chaunge Withinne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho That haden pris, now

wonder nyce and straunge Us thinketh hem, and yet thei spake hem so, And spedde as wel in love as men now do... Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde II.22-26

English 239: History and Structure of the English Language

Oberlin College, Spring 2012 Professor Jennifer Bryan Rice 26 / 775-8586 jennifer.bryan@oberlin.edu 9 - 9:50 MWF King 343 CRN 15469

Drop-in office hours: MW 10:30-11:30. Other times by appointment. If you are having trouble, please make an appointment as soon as possible. You are always welcome to come by for any reason.

Course goals: This course surveys the history of English from its Indo-European roots to the present. It traces not only the changing forms of the language, but also changing attitudes toward English and language in general. Our approaches will range from the linguistic to the literary as we explore various problems in the historical study of language. Students should gain some familiarity with 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 English language history and the ways it is preserved in the language we now speak.
I dont know what you mean by glory, Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. Of course you donttill I tell you. I meant theres a nice knock-down argument for you! But glory doesnt mean a nice knock-down argument, Alice objected. When I use a word, Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, it means just what I choose it to meanneither more nor less. The question is, said Alice, whether you can make words mean so many different things. The question is, said Humpty Dumpty, which is to be masterthats all. Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Required Texts: Baugh & Cable, A History of the English Language Additional required readings and materials are posted on the course Blackboard, or are on reserve in Mudd. You will need a substantial binder in which to collect printouts, handouts, and assignments. *Please set aside some textbook money for printing and copying.*

Preparation: I strongly urge you to do all reading in advance of the class for which it is assigned. Diligent preparation will help you to understand what is going on in class, enable you to ask questions, keep you from falling behind, and substantially improve your learning experience. I recommend that you take notes when reading, especially when reading on-screen. I also recommend that you review the reading again after class, along with your lecture notes. (Recent studies suggest that this is one of the most effective ways to retain new material and concepts.) We will move very quickly, and each days 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 consistent level of commitment: about 9 hours per week on average.

Organization and Studying: You should collect all printed readings, handouts, assignments, and class notes in a substantial binder. This will make your life much easier at exam time. I strongly suggest that you take a few minutes at the beginning of each week to review the previous weeks notes and assignments. It will improve your comprehension and retention of the material. I also suggest that you find a good study partner or group. Short Assignments: In addition to the reading there will be frequent short exercises, usually handed out in class. These are designed to help you learn and apply the material and to identify areas where you are having trouble. Unless otherwise noted, such exercises should be completed for the following class. Late Policy: Late essays and reviews will be penalized for each day they are late, up to two full letter grades. If you are not prepared for an in-class presentation, you will receive a zero. Failure to complete daily assignments in a timely fashion will inevitably affect your performance on the exams. Attendance: I often hand out exercises and practice readings in class. You are responsible for them whether or not you are in attendance so if you need to miss a class, find a classmate who will look out for you. More than three absences will lower your course grade. Class Starts at 9:00. Habitual tardiness is disrespectful and distracting to others, as is leaving in the middle of class. Emergencies happen and everyone is late sometimes; I ask only that you try to be as punctual and non-disruptive as possible. You should also refrain from eating, slurping, snoring, surfing the web, and anything else that is likely to be annoying to your classmates. Please remember that they got up early too. Calculation of Final Grades: Short presentations, miscellaneous exercises: 15% Exams (1 half-hour, 2 hour, 1 final): 60% A 5-6 page history of one English word (the word biography) and peer review: 25% Honor Code: I do not mind if you work on daily exercises in pairs or groups, although you should be careful about depending too heavily on the efforts of others. Exams, obviously, must be completely your own work, though I encourage group study. When writing your word biography, you must be careful to acknowledge every source you use, whether or not you quote directly from it. When in doubt, ask. At Oberlin, honor is a word with serious consequencesFalstaff notwithstanding. What is honor? A word. What is in that word honor? What is that honor? Air. A trim reckoning! Falstaff (Shakespeare, I Henry IV V.i.133-35),

COURSE SCHEDULE ONE 2/6 2/8

Introduction to the history of English Introduction to language study Course syllabus: read carefully, bring questions to class Bb: Algeo, from Origins ch. 1; Bryson, Global Language (35-38). Baugh & Cable 301-15 (from Language as a Mirror through Cultural Levels) Language study continued/ the sounds of English Baugh & Cable 315-339 (The StandardGender Issues); 344-347 (Grammatical Tendenciesend); IPA symbols facing p. 1. Bb: Algeo, The Sounds of English just through p. 35 (be sure to take good notes)

2/10

TWO 2/13 Sounds continued/ semantic change Bb: finish Algeo, Sounds of English; Cable, The Sounds of English (1-8); Milward, Reading Transcription (do exercises) Baugh & Cable 339-44 (Oxford English Dictionary) 2/15 Semantic change continued: the OED Bb: McKean, Redefining the Dictionary (video link: 15 minutes); Gleick, CyberNeologoliferation; OED link and exercise as directed. Short exam; OED exercises due

2/17

THREE 2/20 The Indo-European languages Baugh & Cable ch. 2 entire 2/22 Old English: Introduction Baugh &Cable 43-52 (Language in EnglandPeriods); 74-82 (Contact of EnglishLatin through Celtic) Bb: first analysis assignment; additional reading as assigned Old English: Language and Culture Baugh &Cable 53-57 (DialectsCharacteristics); 62-63 (The Language Illustrated); 83-92 Latin InfluenceExtent of the Influence) Bb: Burnley, Caedmons Hymn (print and bring); additional reading & exercises as assigned

2/24

FOUR 2/27 Old English: Word-Hoard, Song-Craft

Baugh & Cable 64-72 (ResourcefulnessLiterature) Bb: Baker, Basic Grammar: A Review (22-32); additional reading & exercises as assigned 2/29 Old English: Grammar Baugh & Cable 57-59 (The NounThe Personal Pronoun) Bb: Cable, Old English Cases (27-29, 32-33; do exercises); additional reading & exercises as assigned

3/2

Grammar, continued Baugh & Cable 60-61 (The Verb). Bb: additional as assigned

FIVE 3/5 Writing Old English Bb: Baker, Reading Old English Manuscripts (152-59); additional as assigned 3/7 Vikings! The Scandanavian influence Baugh & Cable 92-105 (Scandanavian InfluencePeriod and Extent of Influence) Bb: Crystal, Where did the s ending come from? HOUR EXAM

3/9 SIX 3/12

The Norman Conquest WATCH: Schama, A History of Britain: Conquest! (50 min, on reserve) Baugh & Cable ch. 5 entire Bb: First analysis exercise Early Middle English: Transitions Bb: Whats new in English sound and spelling; Middle English sound files; Practice readings and exercises: Brut; Early Lyrics. Baugh &Cable, The Owl & the Nightengale (pp.415-17). The Rise of English WATCH: Schama, A History of Britain: King Death (50 minutes, on reserve) Baugh & Cable ch. 6 entire; Chaucer extract, pp. 419-21. Bb: Crystal, Wycliffe; Lewis, Sad; Knapp, Quaint.

3/14

3/16

SEVEN 3/19 Middle English Dialects and Literary Representation Baugh & Cable ch. 7 to p. 192 Bb: Crystal, A dialect age; Chaucer, The Reeves Tale (print 92-93 and do exercises); Listen again to the CT sound recording. 3/21 Middle English Dialects and Literary Representation Bb: The Second Shepherds Play (read all, but print 1st 2 pages + 888-889); Barbour, The Bruce; Dunbar, In secreit place. Look at but dont print: Minot, Halidon Hill. The Emerging Standard Baugh & Cable, 192-96 Bb: Crystal, The Emerging Standard; Crystal, from Evolving English; Malory, Morte dArthur (Read entire selection; print assigned pages; do exercises)

3/23

SPRING BREAK

EIGHT 4/2 Library Research Session: must have word chosen for biography Baugh & Cable, 200-240 (beginningWeakening of Unaccented Vowel) 4/4 Language & Culture in the English Renaissance Bb: Knapp, Silly; Crystal, from Evolving English (early modern); Crystal, Well, well; additional Early Modern English readings and exercises as assigned Early Modern English Baugh & Cable, 240-251 (finish chapter) Bb: additional Early Modern English readings and exercises as assigned

4/6

NINE 4/9 4/11 4/13 TEN 4/16

Bb: Early Modern English readings and exercises Special Collections: early printed books HOUR EXAM

Regulating the Language: Lexicographers, Grammarians, Elocutionists WATCH: Bragg, The Adventure of English: Speaking Proper (on reserve or download, 50 min) Baugh & Cable, 253-74 (ImpactJohnsons Dictionary) Bb: Swift, A Proposal. (to p.129); Crystal, from Evolving English (18c. and dictionaries); Nunberg, When a Dictionary Could Outrage; Hope, Wimping It. Make sure you look up your word in at least three different dictionaries.

4/18

Baugh & Cable, 274-88 (GrammariansObjections to Foreign Borrowings) Bb: Crystal, from Evolving English (grammar and elocution); Shea, The Poetry of Prose. Browse Chicago Manual of Style 5.202, Good usage vs. common usage (Bb or homepage). Spend an hour in Special Collections: examine materials provided and complete assignment (N.B: open 1:30-4:30 M-F)

library

4/20

WATCH: Bragg, The Adventure of English: The Language of Empire (on reserve or download) Baugh & Cable, 288-94 (Expansion of the EmpireProgressive Passive) Bb: Crystal, from Evolving English (empire; children)

ELEVEN 4/23 WORD BIOGRAPHIES DUE Bb: Crystal, Evolving English (at play).

4/25

Speech and Social Class WATCH: My Fair Lady: to intermission (second half optional) (on reserve) Baugh & Cable, 315-19 (The StandardEnglish Dialects) Bb: Burnley, Source Book (literary dialects, Sweet). Crystal, Evolving English (Shaw, dialect). Baffling Scouse. LISTEN: World have your say (link). British Regional Dialects (half-section meetings: GROUP PRESENTATIONS)

4/27

TWELVE 4/30 English in America WATCH: The Story of English: Pioneers, O Pioneers! (50 minutes, on reserve) Baugh & Cable, 351-66 (SettlementNational Consciousness) Bb: Crystal, John Smith; Jefferson, Letter to John Waldo; Dillard, Backgrounds of American English; Mencken, The American Language, I.5 (General Character) and dip into II.2,3 (Sources, New Words); Trudgill, In the Appalachians 5/2 Guest Lecture: Jed Deppman, Nineteenth-Century Dictionaries DUE: WORD BIO REVIEWS WATCH: The Story of English: The Guid Scots Tongue part 2 (25 minutes, on reserve) Baugh & Cable, 366-76 (WebsterPronunciation) and 390-97 (ControversyAmerican Words in General English) Bb: Bryson, 19th-century American WATCH: Spellbound (first minutes; remainder optional, on reserve) Bb: Bryson, Manifest Destiny; Dillard, Westward; Crystal, Twain, Leland, Stiff, DARE; Twain, from Huckleberry Finn Baugh & Cable, 398-406 (Scientific Interestend)

F/4

THIRTEEN M/7 Varieties of American English (half-section meetings: GROUP PRESENTATIONS) Baugh & Cable, 376-90 (The American Dialects) Bb: Labov, American Vowels Shifting (sound clip); look at Labov dialect site W/9 AAVE and the Politics of Literary Representation Bb: Douglass, from The Life; Harris, from Uncle Remus Tales; Stowe, from Uncle Toms Cabin; Hurston, from Their Eyes Were Watching God; Calloway, Jumpin Jive and Hepsters Dictionary; Walker, from The Color Purple World Englishes; wrap-up Baugh & Cable, 319-34 (English World-Wide) Bb: Crystal, from English around the world; A global presence; Times a-changin

F/11