Admission requirements
Students should have passed introductory (BA) courses in (English) syntax and phonetics/phonology in the B.A. English Language and Culture (or equivalent).
Description
In this course we will focus on three questions concerning linguistic change: (1) What type of changes occur? (2) What are the causes of linguistic change? (3) How can our knowledge of linguistic change be used to reconstruct earlier stages of a language, in particular those stages for which no written records are available? Using the course book and a number of articles as background, we will try to determine and evaluate some of the answers that have been given to these questions. In doing so, we will consider various examples of linguistic change — most of them from English, but also from a variety of other languages.
Course objectives
Students will not only increase their knowledge of (English) historical linguistics, but they will also learn how to do historical linguistics.
Timetable
The timetable will be available by June 1st at www.hum.leidenuniv.nl/engels.
Mode of instruction
One two-hour seminar per week
Assessment method
Written exam (50%), 2 classroom presentations (20%), 1 essay (30%)
Blackboard
This course is not supported by Blackboard.
Reading list
Campbell, Lyle (2004). Historical Linguistics: An Introduction. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Selection of articles (to be announced)
Registration
Students should register through uSis.
Contact information
Departmental Office English Language and Culture, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 102C. Tel. 071 5272144; mail: english@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Coordinator of Studies Master: Ms. K. van der Zeeuw-Filemon, P.N. van Eyckhof 4, room 103C.
Remarks
This course will NOT be offered in the evening