ENGL 634 Etymology

This course is an advanced study of the etymology of the English language, analyzing changes in vocabulary, syntax, and development into a world language.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

The student of the English language is a student of its language arts, of reading and writing, and of its literature, and therefore of the stuff of which the language is made, its grammar and its vocabulary. The English vocabulary is the largest of any language in the world, containing words borrowed principally from Greek, Latin, and French, but also from its other European neighbors, as well as from language all around the globe. A study of the history of the words of the language is a study of the cultures and the historical developments that have made the language what it is.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (5)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will take part in five discussions that relate the study of etymology to the practice of the Christian reading of Scripture. Threads should be at least 600 words in length and the student should also write 2 replies of at least 250 words each. Each thread must include at least 2 course resources and can be formatted in either APA or MLA style. (CLO: A, C, D)

Essay Assignments (2)

There are two essays in this course that should be 2000–2500 words in length. The first is on word histories and the second on the influence of Christianity on the vocabularies of English. Essays should reflect an appropriate level of research and should be documented in MLA or APA format. The student should use at least 2 of the course resources in each assignment. Focus for these essays should be on insightful analysis and clear articulation. (CLO: A, D) 

Reading Response Assignments (3)

For each of the 3 Reading Response Assignment in this course, the student will be asked to engage an element (most often a theme) within the reading and watch items in the course. The kind of analysis the student will be tasked with will vary from reading response to reading response, but in each response assignment, the aim is to discern and make an argument for how the element within the information functions. Each Reading Response should be at least 1000-1200 words, avoid summary, and be MLA or APA formatted, in accordance with the style guide required throughout the student’s degree program. The student should use at least 2 of the course resources in each assignment.