Shakespeare's Language

Dozent/in:

Manfred Krug

Termine:

Do, 16:00 - 17:30, U5/00.24

Inhalt:

This lecture will provide students with an overview of the English language for the period from about 1500 to 1700, the so-called early modern English period. This was a time during which the English language was in a state of flux and underwent some of its most radical linguistic changes, such as the establishment of periphrastic DO in questions and negations, the Great Vowel Shift or the restructuring in address forms (thou, thee vs. ye, you). We will discuss all levels of linguistic organization, i.e.: phonology, morphology, syntax and the lexicon. Various exemplary texts from the period will be analysed (both prose and poetry). The focus will be on the most famous early modern English writer, William Shakespeare. A comparative look at the language of Shakespeare s time, mediaeval texts and the English(es) spoken today will help reveal major principles of language change.

Empfohlene Literatur:

Barber, Charles. 1997. Early Modern English. Cambridge: CUP.

Vorlesung: The Roots of English

Dozent/in:

Gabriele Knappe

Termine:

Di, 14:15 - 15:45, U5/02.22

Inhalt:

Description: Why is English like that? Why is knight spelled with a kn and a gh? Why does English have so many synonyms like start, begin, commence or clever, intelligent, astute and bright? How come that we hardly have any – in fact only eight – inflectional endings in English today? And how are German and English related – as they obviously are, when we compare, for instance, goose and Gans, house and Haus, knight and Knecht, light and Licht?
This lecture addresses all these questions, and more. Students will be given an overview of the development of the English language from its earliest attestations in the late 7th century (Old English) until today in the context of the textual transmission and sociohistorical changes. Selected passages from different periods will be introduced, and special areas of interest are the development of sounds and spelling, grammar, vocabulary and syntax.
This lecture is particularly designed for students of BA "Anglistik/Amerikanistik", Aufbaumodul (2 ECTS).Students from other BA programmes can earn 2 or 4 ECTS points for their Studium Generale (pass/fail), and visiting students can earn 2 or 4 ungraded, pass/fail or graded ECTS points. Everybody elso who is interested is of course welcome, too, and may attend the lecture as a guest without getting ECTS points.
Note that students of Lehramt Gymnasium and of B.A. Medieval Studies must attend the Uebung "Englische Sprachgeschichte", not this lecture.

Empfohlene Literatur:

Suggestions for background reading:

• Norbert Schmitt and Richard Marsden. 2006. Why Is English like That? Historical Answers to Hard ELT Questions. Michigan: The University of Michigan Press.
• Albert C. Baugh & Thomas Cable. 2013. A History of the English Language. Sixth ed. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.