Word Power (01:190:101)

 

M TH PERIOD 2 (9.50-11.10), Spring 2003

 

T. Corey Brennan (Department of Classics)

 

Ruth Adams Building 005; tel. 732.932.9493; email = tcbr@rci.rutgers.edu

Office hours = Monday and Thursday, 3.30-4.30 + by appointment

 

Required/recommended texts (all in RU Bookstore):

 

C.W. Dunmore, Studies in Etymology (1993) [required]

C.S. Lewis, Studies in Words (2nd edition, 1967) [required]

American Heritage College Dictionary (4th edition, 2002) [highly recommended]

N.F. Blake, A History of the English Language [recommended]

 

Useful websites:

Dunmore Lesson Answers and Past Quizzes

 

Resources for history of English language

 

Oxford English Dictionary Online

 

American Heritage Dictionary Online

 

Basis for grading:  4 quizzes (each 15% of grade) + final (40% of grade) = 100%

 

Grading equivalents: 59 or below = F; 60-69 = D; 70-75 = C; 76-79 = C+; 80-85 = B; 86-89 = B+; 90 or above = A.

 

Schedule of lectures and readings:

 

I.

Introduction

 

1.

23 JANUARY THURSDAY

Organization. No assignment

2.

27 JANUARY MONDAY

Dunmore, pp. 1-27 (top)

Lewis, Chapters 1 and 12 (recommended)

Note also M.W. Bloomfield, "A Brief History of the English Language," in American Heritage Dictionary, pp. XIV-XVIII. Multiple locations in RU library reference areas:  PA1628.A623

[Blake, Ch. 1]

II.

 

 

 

 

Dictionary Assignment: brief, civil

Latin: i.e. = id est, e.g. = exempli gratia, ibid. = ibidem, loc. cit. = loco citato, op. cit. = opere citato

Other word formation: back-formation

[Blake, Ch. 2]

3.

30 JANUARY THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 1 (pp. 27-35)

4.

3 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 1. Exercises, pp. 35-39 (all)

III.

 

Dictionary Assignment: subsidiary, com- (pref.)

Latin: p.s. = post scriptum, ms. = manuscriptum / mss. = manuscripta, fl.= floruit, ad hoc, et al. = et alii, c.v. = curriculum vitae

Other word formation: blend

[Blake, Ch. 3]

5.

6 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 2 (pp. 41-51). Exercises A.1-10, 14, 33-47

6.

10 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 2 cont. Exercises A. 48-56; C; D

IV.

 

Dictionary Assignment: surfeit, deign

Latin: ad lib. = ad libitum, alter ego, casus belli, de facto, de iure

Other word formation: clips (back, front, front-and- back)

[Blake, Ch. 4]

7.

13 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 3. Exercises A.3-13; 23-26; 31-32

8.

17 FEBRUARY MONDAY

quiz 1

Dunmore, Lesson 3 cont. Exercises B; E

V.

 

Dictionary Assignment: agnate, ingenuous

Latin: ex officio, ex post facto, modus operandi, modus vivendi

Other word formation: clip blend (one of the two words is a clip)

[Blake, Ch. 5]

9.

20 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

 

Dunmore, Lesson 4. Exercises A.1-10; B.2-11

10.

24 FEBRUARY MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 4 cont. Exercises C; D; E.2

VI.

 

Dictionary Assignment: trivia, -age

Latin: fiat, ne plus ultra, non sequitur, per se, prima facie

Other word formation: folk etymology and mondegreens  [+Blake, Ch. 6]

11.

27 FEBRUARY THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 5. Exercises A.3-13; 20-30

12.

3 MARCH MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 5 cont. Exercises B; E

VII.

 

Dictionary Assignment: insult, include

Latin: cave canem, caveat emptor, quid pro quo, pro tempore, pro forma

Other word formation: hybrid

[Blake, Ch. 7]

13.

6 MARCH THURSDAY

quiz 2

Dunmore, Lesson 6. Exercises A.1-10; 26-33

14.

10 MARCH MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 6 cont. Exercises B; D.1-12

VIII.

 

Dictionary Assignment: specious, tradition

Latin: quid pro quo, amicus curiae, sub rosa, sub judice

Other word formation: loan word

[Blake, Ch. 8]

15.

13 MARCH THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 7. Exercises A.1-10; 20-30.

16.

24 MARCH MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 7 cont. Exercises E; F

IX.

 

Dictionary Assignment: cosmetic, aristocrat

Latin: sine qua non, in memoriam, in camera

Other word formation: retronym

17.

27 MARCH THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 8. Exercises A.1-10; B.1-16; D

18.

31 MARCH MONDAY

quiz 3

TCB jury duty

X.

 

Dictionary Assignment: gamete, phonetic, neologism

Other word formation: root creation

Lewis Ch. 3 (“Sad”)

19

3 APRIL THURSDAY

? TCB jury duty

Dunmore, Lesson 9. Exercises A.1-12; B.1-10; C

20.

7 APRIL MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 9 cont. Exercises D.1-10, E, F

XI.

 

Dictionary Assignment: archaeo-, arch-, archi-, analogous

Other word formation: conversion

Lewis Ch. 4 (“Wit”)

[Blake, Ch. 9]

21.

10 APRIL THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 10. Exercises A.1-16; B

22.

14 APRIL MONDAY

quiz 4

Dunmore, Lesson 10 cont. Exercises C, D, E

XII.

 

Dictionary Assignment: devil, aesthetic

Lewis Ch. 5 (“Free”)

[Blake, Ch. 10]

23.

17 APRIL THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 11. Exercises A.1-16; B.1-15

24.

21 APRIL MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 11 cont. Exercises C, D, E, F

XIII.

 

Greek and Latin numerals

Lewis Ch. 9 (“World”)

[Blake, Ch. 11]

25.

24 APRIL THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 12.  Exercises A.1-20; B; C

26.

28 APRIL MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 12 cont.  Exercises D; E; F

XIV.

 

Dictionary Assignment: archetype, dyslexia

Lewis Ch. 10 (“Life”)

27.

1 MAY THURSDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 13.  Exercises A; E

28.

5 MAY MONDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 14.  Exercises A.1-22; D; F

 

 

 

EXAM

14 MAY WEDNESDAY 12 PM-3 PM

FINAL