ENG6362S: History and Structure of English II (Early Modern and Modern English)
Current admin:
Instructor: Carol Percy
Office: New College, Wetmore Hall 125
Office
hours: Tuesday 12:15-1, Thursday
11:15-12, or “by appointment” (R or F)
Email: cpercy@chass.utoronto.ca
Phone: 978-4287
This course will survey the linguistic and cultural history of the English language from the late fifteenth century until the present day. We’ll consider the standardization and codification of English; the coexistence of English, French, and Latin in Britain; the spread of the English language in and beyond the British isles; English-based pidgins and creoles; the literary use of non-standard varieties of English; the linguistic effects of printing, news media, and the internet.
In your more or less weekly brief reports, you’ll explain
representative developments in spelling, vocabulary (loanwords, wordformation,
semantic change), grammar, pronunciation, and the codification of English in
dictionaries and grammars. I’ve chosen examples that illustrate general trends:
do read Millward, Crystal, and McArthur as you’re contextualizing your topic.
For instance, we’ll have a week where each of you reports on early modern
loanwords from French like café, ennui,
naive, restaurant; on “colonial” words like shampoo and thug and bungalow; on North American vocabulary (squaw, chesterfield, depot, Canuck) and on British/North American
synonyms (shop/store, jumper/sweater,
etc.); a week on productive affixes (e.g., auto-,
-ate, -ist, -ess, -ize). It might be a bit stressful at
first if traditional linguistic terminology is new to you – as it will be to
most of you. Don’t be afraid to drop in on Thursdays or to make an appointment
for later on Thursday or Friday if you want me to confirm that you’re on the
right track.
In two broader reports, destined ultimately for online
publication in the class “encyclopedia” but initially presented to CP in draft
form and then later to the class, you’ll have the opportunity to summarize
broader trends in the cultural and linguistic history of English. You’ll choose
report topics from my list of suggestions, or may propose one of your own. For
the first report
(pre-1800), for instance, topics might include the role of the
Chancery in the rise of standard English, the effect of printing on English
spelling, early “hard word” dictionaries of English, Milton’s use of Latinate
lexis, French loanwords after the Restoration, the roots of prescriptivism, the
eighteenth-century elocution movement, the spread of the English language
within the British Isles, the literary use of Scots English, Captain Cook’s
place names. The second
report on a post-1800 topic might consider topics like the origins of
“African-American vernacular English”, Noah Webster and American English, the
influence of other languages on English (e.g. Yiddish, Swahili, Japanese),
acronyms, the influence of the internet on English, the literary use of
non-standard varieties of English (“Nation language”, Scots English, etc).
Although I am not requiring a final research paper this year, I would like you
to pick “encyclopedia article” topics that interest you. I am happy to
entertain suggestions and delighted to help you find sources.
Topics for the first week will be
circulated in class today. Once I have a better sense of numbers, I’ll post
topics for the first report and for the next few weeks on the course webpage by
the afternoon of Friday January 10th. Please email me by Monday
January 13th at 5 pm with your top
three preferences and I’ll let you know those in class.
Best
“n-2” weekly reports: please submit written version within a week after
the presentation (35%). Draft of two 1000-word “encyclopedia articles”
with
list of secondary readings (2 x 15% = 30%): deadline for draft of #2
if you don't need to graduate in June is APRIL 25th; final version of
articles (2 x 15%
= 30%), by May 9th. Intelligent, informed, courteous, regular
participation (5%).
C M
Millward, A biography of the English
language, 2nd edition (Harcourt Brace,
1996; PE 1075 M64 STL).
David
Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of
the English language (Cambridge
University Press, 1995; PE 1072 C68).
A nice complement to Crystal is Tom
McArthur’s Oxford Companion to the
English Language (1992) (PE 1625 O85 STL): it’s
alphabetically-arranged, giving you instant
insights into specific topics. It also (like the OED) has entries on each
letter of the alphabet.
The second (1989) edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, as well as
being in its 20-volume form at campus libraries (in the apex of 4th
floor Robarts), is online:
https://www-oed-com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/
I’ve got an online bibliography of
books relating to the history of English:
http://cpercy.artsci.utoronto.ca/courses/6362book.htm The e-index (with abstracts!) “Linguistics & Language
Behavior” can be found online. Enter “Linguistics” after clicking on the links
for “e-indexes” at http://www.library.utoronto.ca/index.html HELL, a set of links to other online
resources for the history of English: http://cpercy.artsci.utoronto.ca/helhome.htm Online
“encyclopedia” of the cultural and linguistic history of Old and Middle
English: http://cpercy.artsci.utoronto.ca/courses/HELEncyclopedia.htm 1. Introduction:
course admin, using the OED and decoding its symbols. 1a. Pick topics for next week’s
reports (spelling). 1b. Please check the course website after Friday afternoon
for Report topics
for the next few weeks First
“encyclopedia article” topics. Complete course
outline. 1c. Please email me by Monday January 13th at
5pm with your top three choices for the reports and encyclopedia articles. Please read Crystal, “Early Modern
English” as an overview. Please use Millward, “Early Modern
English” as a reference. Don’t forget McArthur for specific
topics. Other items of interest
Broad outline for the first few weeks
Early Modern English
Lexical borrowing:
lecture.
Morphological change:
lecture.
Wordformation:
lecture