English 409
MWF 10:00-10:50 am
VKC 202
Professor T. Cervone
THH 404F
Theacervone@hotmail.com
HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
This course will trace the history of the English language from the Anglo-Saxon era to
the present day by using a single source text: The Bible. We will use this compelling and
timeless text to study the structure of the English language, and we will also focus on
how England’s social, religious, and political history has affected its development and
translation. From excerpts of Anglo-Saxon Gospels to Middle English Psalters, students
will learn how to conjugate, decline, and translate Anglo-Saxon and Early Middle
English. Later dialects of Middle English and Early Modern English will include an
intensive study of vocabulary and colloquialisms. The course will also feature the
immense changes of the Reformation period, with a focus on translation theory as it
relates to the development of Early Modern English. The King James Version will be
featured as a phenomenon of this period. Finally, contemporary language will be
examined, as students will read comic book and manga versions of Biblical books, along
with a version of the Bible expressly for American teens, and various colloquial versions.
These contemporary examples will emphasize the emerging and important role of youth
culture, ethnic identity and popular culture in Biblical text—something which was
considered taboo for centuries.
ASSIGNMENTS: Students will take two vocabulary quizzes and a midterm exam for the
first half of the course. The midterm will count for 25% of a student’s final grade. The
two quizzes will count for the remaining 12.5%. A research paper of 15-20 pages will be
due at the end of the course. The paper will count for the other 50% of a student’s final
grade. The assignment grade will be tallied separately from attendance, participation, and
preparedness. Papers must be written in MLA style. MLA guidelines are available via the
MLA handbook or online via the MLA website. Some other writing handbooks also
feature MLA guidelines. Research papers must cite at least five secondary sources such
as books and scholarly articles. Students may cite other sources, such as websites, films,
television, works of art, and other multimedia sources, but these are extra and must be
presented in addition to the minimum five secondary sources in the bibliography. Papers
are due in class on the due date specified by the syllabus. Late papers will be penalized
one full letter grade for each day late. Extensions for papers will only be given in
emergency cases. Students may not email me a paper unless I give permission in
advance. I do not accept rewrites, and I do not review or change grades once they have
been issued.
CONFERENCES: Students must attend a conference with me in order to discuss the
topic and progress of their papers. These conferences are required, and a student’s
preparedness will be factored into his or her final grade. At the conference students will
present a preliminary bibliography and a thesis/argument for the paper.
ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION POLICIES: This is a 400-level course and
students are expected to attend and participate diligently. After three unexcused absences
a student’s grade will be penalized. An excused absence implies that I have advanced
notice and that I have given permission. If you become ill or injured, let me know as
soon as possible so I can make sure you don’t fall behind. Keep a copy record of your
doctors’ notes as well. If you are on a sports team, etc, please let me know in advance of
dates you will be absent. Lateness disrupts the course and disturbs your fellow students,
and so it will not be tolerated. If you are late by 10 minutes or more you will be counted
absent. If you are consistently late within those ten minutes your grade will be penalized.
NOTE: I expect a student’s undivided attention. Students must silence and put away all
smartphones, blackberries and other communications devices. Any student texting in
class will be counted absent. If you bring a laptop or tablet computer to class I expect you
to take notes and not surf the Internet or send and receive emails and text messages. Any
student surfing the Internet or messaging (and I can tell) will be counted absent. The only
time students will be allowed to go on the Internet is if, in the course of class discussion,
we agree to look up a source together. Any student who gets up in the middle of class and
leaves for any reason that does not involve an emergency will be counted absent. If you
have a pressing appointment or pending family issue just speak to me in advance and you
will be allowed to leave if you need to. The same thing goes if you need to come very late
because of something important.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: The University guidelines for academic integrity are
outlined in Scampus, and I cannot help you if you violate them. Violations include, but
are not limited to, plagiarism of passages, quotes, or sources, or the purchase of, theft of,
or otherwise illegitimate means of obtaining a paper, or research materials for a paper.
WEEK 1 1/10-1/14: Anglo-Saxon
M: Introduction. Basic syntax and grammar
W: Basic Syntax and grammar, HBE, Chapter 1
F: Anglo-Saxon Riddles, Paraphrases and Glosses
WEEK 2 1/17-1/21: Anglo-Saxon
M: Anglo-Saxon Riddles, Paraphrases and Glosses
W: Examples from the Lindisfarne Gospels
F: Examples form the Lindisfarne Gospels
WEEK 3 1/24-1/28: Anglo-Saxon
M: Examples from the Wessex Gospels and Caedmon’s Paraphrase
W: Examples from the Wessex Gospels and Caedmon’s Paraphrase
F: Quiz. Introduction to Middle English
WEEK 4 1/31-2/4: Middle English
M: Examples from the Ormulum; Maidstone’s Psalms
W: Examples from the Ormulum; Maidstone’s Psalms
F: Middle English Psalms
WEEK 5 2/7-2/11: Middle English
T: Middle English Psalms
W: HBE, Chapter 2; Wycliffe and Lollardy
F: Examples from the Wycliffite Bible
WEEK 6 2/14-2/18: Middle English
M: Examples from the Wycliffite Bible
W: Quiz. Introduction to the Reformation period
F: HBE, Chapter 3
WEEK 7 2/21-2/25: Early Modern English--The Reformation and 16th Century
M: HBE Chapter 4
W: HBE, Chapter 5
F: Sir Thomas Wyatt, from The Penitential Psalms
WEEK 8 2/28-3/4: Early Modern English--The Reformation and 16th Century
M: Sir Thomas Wyatt, from The Penitential Psalms
W: HBE, Chapter 6; Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey
F: Mary Sidney, Psalms
WEEK 9 3/7-3/11: Early Modern English—The 17th Century
M: Mary Sidney, Psalms
W: HBE, Chapter 7; Psalms by Milton, Herbert, and others.
F: MIDTERM EXAM
SPRING BREAK 3/14-3/18. NO CLASSES.
WEEK 10 3/21-3/25: Early Modern English--The King James Bible
M: Shakespeare and the Bible (?)
W: HBE, Chapter 8; The reign of James I
F: HBE,Chapter 9; Examples from the KJV
WEEK 11 3/28-4/1: Contemporary English
M: HBE, Chapter 10; Examples from the KJV
W: Aftermath of the KJV; The Bible, Americanized
F: Thomas Jefferson’s New Testament
WEEK 12 4/4-4/8: Contemporary English
M: The Bible for Teens and the phenomenon of the American adolescent
W: The Bible for Teens
F: The Counterculture Answer to Scripture: R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis
WEEK 13 4/11-4/15: Contemporary English
M: R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis
W: An Elegant Alternative: Siku, The Manga Bible
F: Siku, The Manga Bible
WEEK 14 4/18-4/22: Contemporary English: Ethnic Identity CONFERENCES
M: Cockney and Regional Anglo-Scottish colloquial versions
W: The Ozzie Bible—Australian slang version
F: Hawaiian Pidgin; Cameroon Pidgin Bible, by Rev. Dr. Ekoka A. Molindo
WEEK 15 4/25-4/29: The Future of the Bible in English
M: In the peoples’ hands: The Bible Across America project and Twitter
W: Technical Jargon and LOLCat
F: The Muppets
PAPERS ARE DUE FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011 at 12 noon in the box provided in the
English Department main office. You may also leave papers in my mailbox if the other
box is full.