LING110 - The History of Words

Status
O
Activity
LEC
Section number integer
1
Title (text only)
The History of Words
Term
2019A
Subject area
LING
Section number only
001
Section ID
LING110001
Course number integer
110
Meeting times
TR 01:30 PM-03:00 PM
Meeting location
WILL 321
Level
undergraduate
Instructors
Beatrice Santorini
Description
It is sometimes said that every word has its own history. But there are also general factors affecting how words change over time. In this course, we explore both aspects of the history of words. On the one hand, we explore the ways in which the saying is true, by investigating taboo words, euphemisms, shibboleths, doublets, folk etymology, idioms, paradigm gaps, reanalysis, and other word-specific processes. On the other hand, we discuss the general factors, such as regular sound change (for instance, the Great Vowel Shift), word frequency, and others, as time and interest permit.
Course number only
110
Use local description
No