Middlebury

LNGT 0130

Secret Lives of Words

The Secret Lives of Words
In this course students will learn to use the Oxford English Dictionary to trace the origins of English words from their Proto-Indo-European roots to their modern English meanings, examining how cultural demands, conflict, gender, and the historical movements of peoples affect, and are affected by, words. In addition we will explore the politics of lexicography. Students will learn to identify the Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes of English words, and will be introduced to common shifts in word formation as words are absorbed into English from other languages.
Subject:
Linguistics
Department:
Linguistics
Division:
Interdisciplinary
Requirements Fulfilled:

Sections in Spring 2014, School Abroad Spain (Madrid)

Spring 2014

LNGT0130A-S14 Lecture (Evans)