Taster Event: English Languages: Pasts in the Present
When:
—
Venue:
Online
Why was it good to be silly in the early Middle Ages? What do the words drunken, ransack, gang, and law owe to the Vikings? How did the arrival of French with the Norman Conquest allow English speakers to juggle, play chess, eat sausages, and even hold a parliament? Why did Latin allow us to demonstrate, calculate, and be critical? And when and why did flamingos, potatoes, and tobacco first make an appearance?
Led by Dr. Mike Bintley, a specialist in medieval literature and culture, this webinar will focus on etymology as a means of understanding the development of Englishes from the earliest times to the present. Participants will explore a series of case studies from the early Middle Ages to the present day that reflects the impact of social, cultural, and historical currents on the evolution of the language.
We will finish by considering some recent additions to the Oxford English Dictionary, and discuss what they reveal about the role of language in shaping our understanding of the present.
Contact name:
Mike Bintley