ENG4165 ¨C Old English: Language and History

Course content

Discover the force of an old Germanic language! This course takes you to the period from the Viking incursions c. year 800 to the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066. You will learn the basics of English as it was then - a very different language from what it is now. We will study the morphological and syntactic structure of the language, and you will learn to read, translate and pronounce a variety of texts. Language does not exist independently of people and events, and the relation between language and history was especially close in this period. Hence, the course also includes a historical part, in which we focus on the consequences of historical events on the status and development of the English language.

This is a course that requires systematic and diligent study throughout the term, but it gives you access to a very interesting linguistic and historical period. Through studying an older stage of the language, you will also be able to view modern English in a new light.

Learning outcome

After completing this course, you:

• can account for the morphological and syntactic structure of Old English
• can account for the pronunciation of Old English and pronounce it yourself
• can translate simple texts
• can identify the key historical figures and events in the Old English period, and explain their impact

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.

If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.

This course is for students admitted to the master programmes?European Languages (master's two years),?Viking and Medieval Studies,?Viking and Medieval