History of the English Language

obligatory courses

In practical classes, students analyse selected language samples representative of the main periods of the history of English. They analyse the changes in the graphemic system, phonology, morphology, syntax, lexis and semantics, confronting them with the linguistic structure of contemporary English. They study dialectal texts and crucial historical linguistic processes.

The classes give students the opportunity to understand the nature of linguistic changes and the process of shaping English against the background of historical, cultural and social events. They shed light on the structure of contemporary English, its exceptions and irregularities discussing the latter in the light of general linguistic processes.

The classes give students the opportunity to understand the nature of linguistic changes and the process of shaping English against the background of historical, cultural and social events. They shed light on the structure of contemporary English, its exceptions and irregularities discussing the latter in the light of general linguistic processes.

Topics:

1. Old English: graphemic-phonemic correspondences, phonology, morphology, syntax and lexis based on the corpus of OE sentences and short excerpts from prose and poetry; OE dialects

2. Middle English: morphological and phonological changes in the transition period (vowel reduction, monophthongization, levelling of inflectional cases);

dialectal features based on an analysis of selected ME texts; ME phonological processes (Homorganic Lengthening, Trisyllabic Shortening, CC-Shortening; Open Syllable Lengthening); selected fragments from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (metre and rhythm, pronunciation and lexis)

4. The Great Vowel Shift

3. Early Modern English: analysis of selected fragments from William Shakespeare’s plays (pronunciation, lexis); selected early ModE phonological processes

Blake, N. F. 1996. A History of the English Language. Macmillan. (selected chapters)

Bough, A. C. and T. Cable, 2002 (6th ed.) A History of the English Language. Routledge. (selected chapters)

Fisiak, Jacek. 1993. An Outline History of English. Volume I: External History. Poznań.

Hogg, Richard, 2002. An Introduction to Old English. OUP.

Hogg, Richard, 2002. An Introduction to Middle English. Edinburgh University Press.

Pyles, Th. and J. Algeo, 2010 (6th ed.) The Origins and Development of the English Language. Wadsworth.

Wełna, J. 1996. A Brief Outline of the History of English. Warszawa: WUW.

The Cambridge history of the English language.(1992-2001) Vols. 1-6. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (selected fragments)

Acquiring knowledge

K_W10 The student acquires the knowledge of the historical development of language, especially English, and the process of semantic change in its complexity.

K_W09 The student learns how to use research tools and research techniques of phonology, especially as they are applied in historical phonology.

Acquiring expertise

K_U01 The student acquires the expertise to use linguistic terminology in the area of English philology.

Acquiring social skills

K-K02 The student acquires the understanding of professional standards, especially the understanding of the ever changing environment in research and as well as the understanding of the importance of continuous education.

Education at language level B2+

Obligatory course for the first-level (BA) students.

Grading: midterm test; final exam based on the material discussed in lectures and in practical classes; a retake exam during the retake exam session

Three absences are allowed

The method of evaluation may change depending on the epidemic situation. In such a case, the new rules shall be established according to the rules of UW and after the cosultation with attendees.

Non-applicable