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Old English Literature: Language as History

Old English Literature: Language as History

Old English Literature: Language as History

In the 24 lessons of Old English Literature: Language as History, you will experience the premodern world through the powerful tool of the written word. With the guidance of author and medieval scholar Professor Renée Trilling, you will look back on the early medieval history of the British Isles and discover what Old English can reveal about the peoples, traditions, beliefs, and cultures of the past.

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(Set) Old English Literature: Language as History & Language Families of the World

(Set) Old English Literature: Language as History & Language Families of the World

Place the origins of the English language in the larger context of the world’s equally fascinating language families with this two-course set. In Old English Literature: Language as History, learn the basics of Old English and what literature can tell us about the origins of English-speaking culture in medieval Britain. And in Language Families of the World, travel back through time and around the world, following the linguistic trails left by generations of humans that lead back to the beginnings of language.

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History of the English Language, 2nd Edition

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Sixteen centuries ago a wave of settlers from northern Europe came to the British Isles speaking a mix of Germanic dialects. Today we call that dialect Old English, the ancestor of the language nearly one in five people in the world speaks every day. How did this ancient tongue evolve into the elegant idiom of Chaucer, Shakespeare, and other great writers? And how does English continue develop today? The History of the English Language, 2nd Edition, is Professor Seth Lerer’s revised and updated investigation of the remarkable history of English.

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The Secret Life of Words: English Words and Their Origins

The Secret Life of Words: English Words and Their Origins

It’s a human impulse to play with language and to create new words and meanings—but also to worry about the decay of language. But by studying how and why language changes and the story behind the everyday words in our lexicon, we can learn a lot about ourselves—how our minds work and how our culture has changed over the centuries. In The Secret Life of Words: English Words and Their Origins, you’ll get a delightful, informative survey of English, from its Germanic origins to the rise of globalization and cyber-communications. Award-winning Professor Anne Curzan of the University of Michigan approaches the subject like an archaeologist, digging below the surface to uncover the story of words.

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