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LING 490/590: History of the English Language

Instructor: Jennifer Mittelstaedt

Credits: Four

This course serves as a survey of the historical roots of English.  Topics include sound change, language families and the family relations of English, the historical progression of English phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, and the effects of various historical events on the development of English. The course emphasizes the process of discovery as well as the facts being discovered. Students are required to complete frequent homework assignments and a final exam, along with in-class group assignments.

Prerequisites: LING 390 or equivalent

Major Assignments:

  • Frequent homework assignments (55%)
  • In-class group work (15%)
  • Take-home final exam (30%)

590 students will be required to do a relevant project in addition to the above requirements.

Textbooks: The Origins and Development of the English Language  (5th ed.).  John Algeo & Thomas Pyles. [ISBN-10: 015500168X ; ISBN-13: 978-0155001688]

Course packet from Clean Copy

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