ENGL 311

Spring 2017 All Classes

All Classes

History of the English Language

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Credit: 3 hours.

Language variation and change from the earliest forms of English to the present day, with emphasis on the rise of Standard English and the social, geographic, and cultural aspects of linguistic change in English.

Credit is not given for both ENGL 403 and ENGL 311.

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ENGL 311 class schedule data for spring 2017
	CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
	63930	Lecture-Discussion	F	2:00PM -3:15PM	MW	English Building	Russell, L	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/17/17-05/03/17 Section Info: There are clear camps when it comes to the English language: For some, it is “the most perfect all-purpose instrument,” “the grandest triumph of the human intellect,” “the lingua franca of the angels,” and, for others, it is “a weapon of war,” “a steamroller,” “the language of the criminal who committed the crime.” It’s the engine of angels or the cudgel of demons. But of course, English is not simply one or the other of these things. Over time, it has been lots of different things to lots of different people. And the purpose of this course will be to explore those uses and users throughout the history of the English language in order to answer the following questions: What is English? What does it look like? Who uses it? Where is it used? What does it mean to use it? Readings for the course will include primary texts (in Old, Middle, Early Modern, and Present Day Englishes) as well as contemporary histories of the language. Coursework will include lectures, discussions, presentations, exams, and short essays. No prior knowledge of historical Englishes or linguistics is necessary.