English 570 Introduction to the History of English
Summer 2009 (MW 11:30-1:18)
Professor Odlin
Course Description
In this course we will survey the development of English from earliest times up to the present. Our focus will be on two kinds of changes:
- the developments seen in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation;
- the political and social shifts in the role that English has played in world history.
In its earliest days, English had many similarities to German and Dutch, whereas today some of its characteristics are much more like French (for example, in much of the vocabulary). Moreover, English was once no more than a tribal language barely known outside of a tiny corner of Europe, whereas in the last two or three centuries it has become a highly influential global language. Our primary text will be the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language
by David Crystal.