معلومات المقرر الدراسي

Old English is the earliest recorded form of English. It was spoken in Early Middle Ages (5th-11th centuries) in the Anglo-Saxon England. It is chronologically closer to Proto-Germanic, the reconstructed predecessor of all Germanic languages, than the Present-Day English. The corpus of Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) texts is not insignificant and is preserved in a large number of manuscripts. The best-known examples of Anglo-Saxon literature are poetic works (Beowulf, Deor, Widsith etc.). However, prosaic works (both Christian and secular) are no less precious and important than the poetic ones. They include historical chronicles, legal texts, and medical works. All these texts provide a unique insight into the dynamic life of the Anglo-Saxon society.

The aim of this course is to provide an overview of the Old English language (its phonology, morphology, and grammar). The key aspects of the Old English language will be discussed in their relation to the studied texts.

During the course we will read and analyse sample Old English texts. For instance, we will read and analyse such texts as entries from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of England, and paragraphs from the law codes of Ine and Offa.

The course is designed for students who have already done ‘Introduction to Linguistics’ and are willing to excel their knowledge in English (historical) linguistics.