Hauptseminar Language Change and Language Origins

Language Origin and Language Change (Prof. Dr. Winfried Nöth) The course begins with the question of the origins of language, which contextualizes  linguistic evolution in its biosemiotic and biolinguistic framework. The more specific topics of linguistic evolution as well as the laws and processes of language change will be discussed with reference to the history of English. We will read papers from a digital READER that can be received by e-mail (15MB) from noeth@uni-kassel.de. For a first survery: Aitchison, Jean. 2001. Language Change: Progress or Decay, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press; Barber, Charles. 1993. The English Language: A Historical Introduction. Cambridge: University Press. Further literature: see library reserve shelf (Apparat) in January. The course is structured as follows:  Date (8-13h) Topic (Reading);  pp. = Reader page Reporter Team 9.1.2016 I Introduction, General Survey, Course Description, pp. 1-4 II Do animals speak? (Aitchison 1998; Corballis 2002), pp. 5-21 III From hand to mouth (Corballis 2002: 184-219), pp. 21-39     16.1.2016 IV Episodic and mimetic culture (Donald 1991), pp. 40-67 V Mythic culture, external visual symbols & theoretic culture, pp. 68-97     23.1.2016 VI Birth of rules (Aitchison 2001); Evolution? (McMahon 1994: 314-325), pp. 98-105 & 119-124 VII Phonological change & Great Engl. vowel shift (Fromkin/Aitchison), pp.125-142     30.1.2016 VIII Lexical borrowing (Bynon 1977: 216-239) & Lexical change (McMahon 1994: 314-325), pp. 143-154 & 114-118 IX Semantic change 1 (Campbell 1998: 254-281) & McMahon 1994: 174-199), pp. 155-168; 106-114     6.2.2016 X Sem. ch. 2: Laws of sem. change: vbs. & adjs. of sense perceptions (Williams & Sweetser), pp. 169-191 XI Semantic change 3: Changing semantic features (Williams 1986), pp. 192-206     General Review Credits for the course can be obtained in the following modalities: -regular active participation-, Klausur, Hausarbeit. All students who want to obtain credits need to choose one of the XI topicsand prepare a presentation of its main topics in class. Klausur and Hausarbeit (term paper) are additional options. FB 02 Institut für Anglistik / Amerikanistik Uni Kassel WiSe 2016/17 Anglistik/Englisch Prof. i.R. Nöth Winfried i.R