Word Power (01:190:101)

 

T F PERIOD 3 (11.30-12.50), Spring 2005

 

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 texts (each in RU Bookstore):

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

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

 

Useful websites:

 

http://classics.rutgers.edu(click on ‘Courses’)

 

http://ebbs.english.vt.edu/hel/hel.html(resources for history of English language)

 

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.

18 JANUARY TUESDAY

Organization. No assignment

2.

21 JANUARY FRIDAY

Dunmore, pp. 1-27 (top)

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

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

3.

25 JANUARY TUESDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 1 (pp. 27-35)

4.

28 JANUARY FRIDAY

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

5.

1 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

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

6.

4 FEBRUARY FRIDAY

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)

 

7.

8 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

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

8.

11 FEBRUARY FRIDAY

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)

 

9.

15 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

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

10.

18 FEBRUARY FRIDAY

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 

11.

22 FEBRUARY TUESDAY

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

12.

25 FEBRUARY FRIDAY

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

13.

1 MARCH TUESDAY

quiz 2

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

14.

4 MARCH FRIDAY

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

15.

8 MARCH TUESDAY

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

16.

11 MARCH FRIDAY

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.

22 MARCH TUESDAY

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

18.

25 MARCH FRIDAY

quiz 3

 

X.

 

Dictionary Assignment: gamete, phonetic, neologism

Other word formation: root creation

19

29 MARCH TUESDAY

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

20.

1 APRIL FRIDAY

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

 

 

 

XI.

 

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

Other word formation: conversion

21.

5 APRIL TUESDAY

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

22.

8 APRIL FRIDAY

quiz 4

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

 

XII.

 

Dictionary Assignment: devil, aesthetic

23.

12 APRIL TUESDAY

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

24.

15 APRIL FRIDAY

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

 

XIII.

 

Greek and Latin numerals

25.

19 APRIL TUESDAY

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

26.

22 APRIL FRIDAY

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

 

XIV.

 

Dictionary Assignment: archetype, dyslexia

27.

26 APRIL TUESDAY

Dunmore, Lesson 13.  Exercises A; E

28.

29 APRIL FRIDAY

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

 

 

 

EXAM

11 MAY WEDNESDAY 8 AM-11 AM

FINAL:  that’s right, 8 AM-11 AM