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Langue, linguistique & culture de l'Angl médiévale S5 LL3CAN

Nature Élément Constitutif
Crédits ECTS 3
Volume horaire total 24

Contenu

What was the English language like 1,000 years ago? Old English (also termed Anglo-Saxon) is the name given to the Germanic language spoken in Britain from ca. 450 AD to ca. 1100 AD. It is therefore the ancestor of Present-Day English, although it has changed beyond recognition over the centuries. The main goal of this course is to provide students with the linguistic knowledge and the basics required to read short medieval texts. As the English language has changed so much since the early Middle Ages, Old English should be studied as a foreign language. We will thus cover the essentials of Old English pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, while doing short translation exercises. Meanwhile, the course will also offer an overview of the history, culture, and literature of Anglo-Saxon England, from the arrival of the Angles and Saxons in the middle of the fifth century until the Battle of Hastings of 1066. The Anglo-Saxon period in English history has often been dismissed as part of the so-called "Dark Ages". Yet, as this course shows, a number of key events (such as the Christianization of Britain or the Viking invasions) and major historical figures (e.g. Saint Augustine, King Alfred or William the Conqueror) paved the way for the emergence of an ‘English' cultural identity.