Description
Why, for example, do we spell “see” and “sea” differently although we pronounce them exactly the same? And what did the Black Death have to do with it? Why is the plural of “foot” “feet” and of “tooth” “teeth” but the plural of “book” is not “beek”? And why are “whither” and “whence” so confusing to us today? Answers to these questions will emerge as we explore the development of English, from its Anglo-Saxon beginnings on the continent, through the influences of the Celts, Vikings, and Normans, and to the globalization of English since the 1700s.
Led by an expert on linguistics and history Asya Pereltsvaig, Ph.D., this Conversation will shed light on English as it is today, its structure, history, and diversity through the lens of its history. Designed to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased understanding of English, our beloved mother tongue and lingua franca.
This course has been designed to be enjoyed as part of a series. We invite you to explore:
- English Accents: Why Does English Sound the Way It Does? with Dr. Asya Pereltsvaig
- Did Neanderthals Have Language? with Dr. Asya Pereltsvaig
Lectures
Lecture Two – The Anglo-Saxons and their language, Old English. How the Celts affected English.
Lecture Three – English in the Viking Age. Is English really Engelsk, an offshoot of Old Norse? How the Vikings dismantled Old English.
Lecture Four – The Norman Conquest and Middle English. French influence on English.
Lecture Five – Pronunciation changes in Renaissance English. Why English spelling today is so weird. Other influences in the Early Modern Period: Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, the printing press, and the American Founding Fathers.
Lecture Six – English goes global with the rise of colonialization.
About Your Expert
Asya Pereltsvaig received a PhD in Linguistics from McGill University and has taught at Yale, Cornell and Stanford, as well as in several U.S. and European universities. Her expertise is in language and history, and the relationship between them. Her most recent books, Languages of the World: An Introduction, 3rd edition (2020) and The Indo-European Controversy: Facts and Fallacies in Historical Linguistics (2015) were published by Cambridge University Press.
FAQ
Audience
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
Duration
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.