122222 SE Linguistics Seminar / BA Paper (2017S)

Even though from a lay perspective English tends to be seen as an 'easy' language, the English lexicon is famous for its size and complexity. In this class we will study the historical development of English words from the beginnings to the present day. Beyond the history of individual words, we will also look at such diverse topics as the changing typology of the language, phraseology, or the fascinating question why English has so many loanwords from French or Latin, but only very few from Celtic languages. Participants will thus become familiar with central issues in English historical lexicology, including basic notions of language contact, semantic change and word formation, and they will be able to pursue individual research questions in these areas. Consequently the class will also include a recapitulation of some basic language history, but also an introduction to historical lexicography and to the competent use of dictionaries and other research tools.
There will be a mixture of set texts, lecturer input, class discussions and student presentations and assignments.