ENGL 5003-001

Tiffany Beechy

Hwæt!  English looked a lot different 1000 years ago. Although it sounds “old,” the history of English has everything to do with how we use the language today.  This course provides an introduction to Old English, the ancient ancestor of Modern English (as Latin is the ancient ancestor of Spanish and Italian, distinct from both). The focus of the course is on reading knowledge through grammar study and translation, and to a lesser extent on pronunciation. The course will provide basic parsing and translation skills and an introduction to the history, culture, and literature of early medieval Britain, as well as an introduction to the history of the English Language.  Did you know that the word glamor comes from grammar?  You will see why! Old English is a sequence, and Intermediate Old English II (Engl 4023) will be offered in the spring.

MA Designation: Elective