Hawaii Pacific University
CLST 2600 Greek and Latin Roots of English Section ____
Semester and year, meeting times
Instructor: Name, contact information and other relevant information about the instructor.
Course description: The systematic study of the influence of ancient Greek and Latin on the vocabulary
and grammatical structure of English. Also examined are the ways in which words are used for
communication and how languages develop and change. For students in a wide range of fields, from life
sciences and chemistry, to law and humanities.
Course prerequisite: WRI 1200
General Education Requirement: This course is classified under the Communication Skills Theme and
meets the requirement for a course in Communication Skills C: Other Communication Skills Courses.
General Education Student Learning Outcomes and the Five Themes: HPU’s general education
curriculum is focused around five themes. This course emphasizes the Communication Skills Theme and
provides students with opportunities to achieve the following related general education student
learning outcomes.

Students will analyze the way we construct meaning and communicate it to others. This
course focuses on the critical analysis of the etymology of words in a variety of domains of
knowledge. Students will be able to explain verbally and orally the relationship between
the root meaning and modern usage. Student will be able to make educated guesses as to
the meaning of unfamiliar words and justify their reasoning

Students will demonstrate critical reasoning in organizing thoughts, feelings, concepts,
and information for effective, clear, and accurate oral, written, non-verbal, visual, and
electronic communication. Students will be introduced to the basics of the systems of
inflection used by Latin and Greek. In order to learn the meaning of word stems, students
will be introduced to a variety of mnemonic strategies, both oral and visual, for discerning
patterns in words and for critically dissecting English words into their Greek and Latin
components.

Students will develop the information literacy needed to determine the validity of
information sources and apply these skills in communication environments. Students will
demonstrate an ability to use lexical tools in the library and online. Students will
demonstrate an understanding of the explanatory information given in the entries of the
Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the Oxford Latin Dictionary (OLD), the Liddell-Scott-Jones
Greek-English Lexicon (LSJ), and in other unabridged English dictionaries such as the
Webster’s Third New International Dictionary
The course also addresses the World Cultures Theme by providing students with opportunities to
achieve the following related general education student learning outcome:

Develop informed perspectives on the historical development of cultures that focus upon
the interrelationship among institutions, values, and ideas. Students will be able to
demonstrate a familiarity with some of the basic laws of historical linguistics. In tracing
the evolution from Greek and Latin to English, students will be introduced to patterns in
the way languages change over time, and how many of these changes are affected by
communication technologies such as writing, radio, etc.—or the lack thereof.
Note: Purple text shows places where specific course information must be filled in. Red text contains
explanatory notes to the instructor which should be deleted before using the syllabus. Blue explanations
above should be rephrased by the individual instructor to reflect the specific approach in that section of
the course. Course specific outcomes below are an example and may also be rephrased or modified by
the instructor.
Student Learning Outcomes for CLST 2600
identify the correct meanings of 1,000 English words, including specialized vocabulary from fields such
as biology, botany, zoology, law, medicine.
identify Greek and Latin roots in English words.
explain verbally and orally the relationship between the root meaning and modern usage.
demonstrate a familiarity with some of the basic laws of historical linguistics
discuss the role of literacy and textuality in reconstructing the historical roots of English words
use lexical tools in the library and online
research the history of a word or family of words from ancient Greece and Rome to modern English.
write a research paper and present an oral presentation explaining in detail the history of a word or
family of words from ancient Greece and Rome to modern English
For the rest of these required syllabus items see the details in the faculty handbook. Delete this note
once the syllabus is complete. For online courses there are some additional requirements given at this
link.
Texts List textbooks with ISBN’s and include this language as well
All textbook information (pricing, ISBN #, and e-books) for this course can be found on the HPU
Bookstore website: hpu.edu/bookstore.
If you have any questions regarding textbooks, please contact the HPU Bookstore at:
Phone:
808-544-9347
Or e-mail:
jyokota@hpu.edu
mmiyahira@hpu.edu
Assignments and mode of evaluation
Summary of important dates and deadlines (if the schedule is a separate document and due dates are
not given with the description of the assignments).
Class rules and policies (including regarding attendance, late work and academic dishonesty)
Schedule of events (may be attached separately)