TESL 560-001 Words Through Time and Space
Dr. Robin C. Barr
Spring, 2013
Office: Letts LL 5
Email: linguistsrwe@gmail.com
Office hours: After class or by
appointment.
Phone: (cell) 301-806-1141
Scheduled class meetings:
02/02/13 02/02/13 WARD 101 S 10:00AM-02:00PM
02/23/13 02/23/13 WARD 101 S 10:00AM-02:00PM
03/30/13 03/30/13 WARD 101 S 10:00AM-02:00PM
04/20/13 04/20/13 WARD 101 S 10:00AM-02:00PM
DESCRIPTION:
This is a one-credit mini-course in seminar form, serving as an introduction to the history and
structure of the English lexicon. Start to see words in four dimensions by discovering their hidden
relationships with other words, their histories through millennia of changes, and their travels from
language to language across the globe. We'll look at some favorite examples of true (though
unlikely) etymologies, folk-etymologies, and etymythologies. We will look at data from language
use, language learning, and language change in order to discover the ways in which speakers
construct and use their mental lexicons, and how we can use this information in teaching
languages.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Three problem sets (graded SAT/UNSAT), presentation and discussion of assignments, one 7 - 10
pp. research project or paper.
GRADING: 3 problem sets @ 15%
Class discussions and participation
Final paper and presentation
45%
10%
45%
COURSE POLICIES:
All course work is subject to the standards and procedures of the University Academic Integrity
Code. All work must be one's own and for this course only, unless appropriate collaboration has
been approved in advance. Collaboration with class members on problem sets and presentations
is encouraged (i.e., discussion of how to solve the problems); however, the write-ups must be
done individually (i.e., no copying someone else’s solution).
READING:
The following textbooks are required. Additional readings will be assigned as needed:
Durkin, Philip. The Oxford Guide to Etymology. (any edition).
Sapir, Edward. Language. Available on web through Blackboard link.
Watkins, Calvert, ed. The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots (any
edition).
(The Watkins and Durkin are available as a package on Amazon.com)
FINAL PAPER:
This is a short (7 - 10 pp.) research project or paper on a lexical/historical topic of your choice,
due the week of our last class (Week of April 22). You will have 10 - 15 minutes to present your
paper to the class at our last meeting. You could do an experiment or gather data from
informants, along the models you will be seeing in class, or you could do a paper based on library
research and your own language knowledge. You do not have to limit your project to English.
Possible topic areas include:
1)
A set of related etymologies (about 10) plus analysis and discussion. The
relationship could consist of: same root, same source language, same semantic
field, same type of change, or some other interesting factor they have in common.
Please do not simply copy the dictionary etymologies — I want to see your
analysis of the words or phrases.
2)
A particular lexical rule or set of rules (like the examples in class of comparative
+er or the rules associated with Latinate affixes). Discuss the origin of the rule and
its current status in the speaker’s morphology: is it still productive? How hard is it
to learn? This would be a good topic for a survey or experiments like the ones
demonstrated in class.
3)
Applications of etymology. Discuss ways of using etymological information in the
classroom. You could design a classroom activity based on information from this
course; e.g. ‘flooding’ to teach lexical rules, vocabulary building with Latin and
Greek roots and affixes, idioms classed by semantic field or etymological source,
or adaptation of classroom materials.
TESL 560-001 Words Through Time and Space
Dr. Robin C. Barr
Spring 2013 SYLLABUS
Saturdays 10:00am – 2:00 pm; 2/2, 2/23, 3/30, 4/20
Class I. Overview: Words in Time and Space;
The sources of the English lexicon, Part 1: Indo-European inheritance. How to read a
dictionary entry. Sound changes and semantic changes: which are plausible? Grimm’s Law
and IE cognates. Etymology and semantic change based on spheres of usage, cultural
effects. Separated at Birth? Dictionary exercise: More Etymologies.
Readings:
Barr, Robin C. A Lexical Model of Morphological Change. (1994) Chapter 1.
Durkin, Chapters 1, 7-8.
Class II. The sources of the English lexicon, Part 2: Borrowings: cultural, intimate, prestige.
Video: The Story of English. French, Latin, and Greek influences: 1066 and all that — the
Norman Invasion and its consequences. The Renaissance and its vocabulary. Romance
Doublets. Etymological breakdowns and stylistic differences.
Problem Set 1 due: Pick a Language and Find the Fake.; Presentation and discussion of
problem sets.
Readings:
AHD of IER front and back matter; skim entries for language and culture notes.
Durkin, Chapters 5-6
Sapir, Chapters 7 & 8; skim rest of book to fill in gaps.
Class III. Words in the Mind. The structure of the lexicon:
1.
Idioms and metaphors from common cultural experience: “Take me out to the ball
game.” Jargon and spheres of usage.
2.
Word-formation rules. Morphological relatedness. Folk-etymology and
etymythology. Ironyms. Plausible and implausible etymologies.
3.
Lexical rules. “Blame it on the French”: comparatives in -er; dative shift. Patterns
of irregularity: English stress and other Latinate rules.
Problem Set 2 due: Etymological Breakdown; Presentation and discussion of problem sets.
Readings:
Durkin, Chapters 2-4
Horn, Laurence R. “Spitten Image: Etymythology and Fluid Dynamics,” American Speech
vol 79 no. 1, Spring 2004, pp. 33-58. [handout].
Class IV. Words in Culture and Society. course evaluations.
Problem Set 3 due: Jargon & metaphor, presentation and discussion of problem sets;
Presentation and discussion of final papers;
Final Papers due week of April 22
Useful References:
Dictionaries and Etymology Books:
The American Heritage Dictionary, unabridged, editions 1, 3, or 4 with complete appendices
(available online through ALADIN)
Ayto, John. Dictionary of Word Origins (PE1580 A97)
Barnhart, Robert. The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology (Reference PE1580.B35 1995)
Klein, Ernest. A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of the English Language (Reference
PE1580.K57)
Lighter, Jonathan. 1994, 1997, 2002. Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang.
O’Connor, Patricia and Stewart Kellerman. 2009. Origins of the Specious. Random House.
Partridge, Eric. Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English (Reference PE1580
.P3 1966)
Room, Adrian. 1986. Dictionary of True Etymologies. Routledge. Entertaining list of folketymologies.
Shipley, Joseph. The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots
(Reference PE1571 S46)
Lexicon and Semantics:
Aitchison, Jean. 1987. Words in the Mind. Basil Blackwell. (Recommended — a basic textbook)
Arlotto, Anthony. An Introduction to Historical Linguistics.
Barr, Robin. 1994. A Lexical Model of Morphological Change.
Lakoff, George and Mark Johnson. 1980. Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, George. 1987. Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things: what categories reveal about the
mind
Sweetser, Eve. 1990. From Etymology to Pragmatics: Metaphorical and cultural aspects of
semantic structure. Cambridge University Press An excellent synthesis of modern
theories of semantics with evidence from language change.
Ullman, Stephen. Semantics. Chapter 6 has a good discussion of semantic change.
QUESTIONNAIRE
TESL 560-001 Words through Time and Space!
Professor Robin Barr
Spring, 2013
NAME: _________________________________________________
PHONE:_____________________________
E-MAIL:____________________________
Are you
___ in a certificate program
___ in the TESOL MA program
___ in the MAT:ESOL program
___ an undergraduate
___ OTHER (please describe)
Do you have background in languages other than English? If so, please note the language(s) and
your level of proficiency.
What is your background in linguistics or other language-related courses (logic, anthropology,
literature, history, psychology)?
What are you most looking forward to learning in this course? Are there any words or etymologies
that you’ve been wondering about?
Describe areas or topics that you are interested in researching for your paper — be as broad or
narrow as you like!