synonyms.

4. Analyse the text of Beowulf (lines 210-216) according to the model (A Reader in the History of English. P. 50–51).

Seminar 5 Topics for discussion in class

1. Innovations in spelling in ME as compared with OE (reflecting sound changes, French influence, means of avoiding misreading).

2. Sound changes in ME and NE:

• vowel changes in ME (quantitative and qualitative changes, rise of new diphthongs);

• major vowel changes in NE (the Great Vowel Shift)

• major consonant changes in ME and in Early NE (appearance of new consonants, treatment of fricative consonants, loss of consonants).

Literature:

Rastorguyeva T.A. A History of English. Ch. XIII § 355–410. P. 184–214.

Topics for independent study

1. Historical foundations of Modern English spelling.

Literature:

Rastorguyeva T.A. A History of English. Ch. XIII § 411–417, Ch XVI § 576. P. 214–218, 307.

Assignments:

1. Make a list of digraphs introduced in ME and NE. Account for the sounds they denote.

2. Make a list of ME vowels and analyse the differentiating features in them. Compare them with OE.

3. Make a list of ME consonants and analyse the differentiating features in them. Compare them with OE.

4. Read The Canterbury Tales by G.Chaucer, lines 1–34 (A Reader in the History of English. P. 33–34).

5. Do assignments 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 on The Canterbury Tales by G.Chaucer, lines 1–34 (A Reader in the History of English. P. 41-42).

6. Study the model of phonetic and orthographic analysis of an ME text (A Reader in the History of English. P. 52–53) and continue the analysis of lines 1-24 following the model.

Seminar 6 Topics for discussion in class

1. The evolution of the English grammatical system in ME and NE. Form-building means used in a) ME and b) NE.

2. Changes in the English nominal system:

• the simplification of the nominal system in ME and NE and its causes;

• the rise of the articles.

3. Changes in the English verbal system:

• simplifying changes in the verb conjugation in ME and NE;

• the rise of analytical forms within the verbal system in ME and NE

Literature:

Rastorguyeva T.A. A History of English. Ch. XV § 418–468, 475–527, 547–555. P. 220–245, 248–276, 290–294.

Topic for independent study

1. The major trends in the development of the syntactic system in ME and NE.

Literature:

Rastorguyeva T.A. A History of English. Ch. XIX § 528–555, P. 277–294.

Assignments:

1. Compare the productivity of different form-building means in different historical periods of English by compiling the table:

Form-building means	OE	ME	NE
Synthetic inflections sound interchange suppletion
Analytical analytical forms word-order special use of prepositions

2. Make a list of noun and verb flections in NE and trace their origin (show the grammatical and dialectal sources).

3. Do assignments 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 25 on The Canterbury Tales by G.Chaucer, lines 1–34 (A Reader in the History of English. P. 42-43).

4. Study the model of grammar and etymological analysis of an ME text (A Reader in the History of English. P. 54) and continue to analyse the grammar of lines 1-24 according to the model.

Seminar 7 Topics for discussion in class

1. Foreign influence on ME vocabulary (Scandinavian and French loan-words in comparison).

2. Revision for ME.

Literature:

Rastorguyeva T.A. A History of English. Ch. XVI § 556–583. P. 296–310

Topics for independent study

1. Borrowings in NE.

2. Word-formation in ME and NE.

Literature:

Rastorguyeva T.A. A History of English. Ch. XVI § 584–624. P. 311–326.

Assignments:

1. Compare Scandinavian and French loan-words by compiling the table:

Features to compare	Scandinavian	French
Time of entering English
Geographical aspect
Social aspect
Number
Semantic spheres
Assimilation by English
Criteria for their distinguishing

2. Study the model of grammar and etymological analysis of an ME text (A Reader in the History of English. P. 54) and continue analysing the etymology of words in The Canterbury Tales, lines 1-24, following the model

3. Do assignments 29, 30 on The Canterbury Tales by G.Chaucer, lines 1–34 (A Reader in the History of English. P. 43).

4. Revise the material on OE.

Ps. The topics for independent studies will be included in the examination questions. Texts for analysis beowulf

Original Version

210 Fyrst forð hewāt: flota wæs on yðum,

bāt under beorhe. Beornas hearwe

on stefn stihon: strēamas wundon,

sund wid sande; sechas bæron

on bearm nacan beorhte frætwe.

215 hūðsearo heatolic; human ūt scufon,

weras on wilsīþ wudu bundenne.

hewāt þā ofer wæhholm winde hefysed

flota fāmīheals fuhle¹ helīcost,

oð þæt ymb āntīd ōþres dōhores²

220 wundenstefna hewaden hæfde,

þæt ðā līðende land hesāwon,

brimclifu blīcan³, beorhas stēapе,

sīde sænæssas: þā wæs sundliden,

ēoledes æt ende. < … >

Comments

1. fuhle – the unstressed vowel of the ending -ol (fuhol) is dropped in the case-forms (cf. Russian отец, отца). This kind of change was possible only in two-syllable words.

2. dōhores – the second letter o should be dropped in reading, thus dōhres.

3. brimclifu blīcan – accusative with the infinitive construction.

The story of isaac's deceit

Original Version		Modernized Version
1. Đā Isaac ealdode and his ēahan þystrodon, þæt hē ne mihte nān þinh hesēon, þā clypode hē Ēsau, his yldran sunu, 2. and cwæð tō him: "þū hesihst þæt ic ealdihe, and ic nāt hwænne mīne dahas āhāne bēoþ. 3. Nim þīn hesceot, þīnne cocur and þīnne bohan, and hanh ūt; and þonne þū ænih þinh behite þæs-þe þū wēne. 4. þæt mē lycihe, brinh mē, þæt ic ete and ic þē blētsihe, ær-þām-þe ic swelte". 5. þā Rēbecca þæt hehīrde and Esau ūtāhān wæs, 6. þā cwæð hēo tō Īacobe, hire suna: "Ic hehīrde þæt þīn fæder cwæð tō Ēsauwe, þīnum brēðer: 7. "Brinh mē of þīnum huntoþe, þæt ic blētsihe ðē beforan drihtne, ær ic swelte". 8. Sunu mīn, hlyste mīnre lāre: 9. far tō ðære heorde and brinh mē twā þā betstan tyccenu, þæt ic macihe mete þīnum fæder þæг-of, and hē ytt lustlīce. 10. Ðonne ðū ðā in brinhst, hē ytt and blētsaþ þē, ær hē swelte".		1. When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son, and said to him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am". 2. He said, "Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3. Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me, 4. and prepare for me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that I may bless you before I die". 5. Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6. Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7. "Bring me game and prepare for me savory food, that I may eat it, and bless you before the Lord before I die. 8. Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you. 9. Go to the flock, and fetch me two good kids, that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he loves; 10. and you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies."
11. Ðā cwæð hē tō hire: "þū wāst þæt Ēsau, mīn brōður, ys rūh, and ic eom smēþe. 12. hif mīn fæder mē handlaþ and mē hecnæwð, ic ondræde þæt hē wēne þæt ic hine wylle beswīcan and þæt hē wirihe mē, næs nā blētsihe". 13. Ðā cwæð sēo mōdor tō him: "Sunu mīn, sih sēo wirihnys ofer mē! Dō swā ic þē seche: far and brinh þā þinh þe ic þē bēad".		11. But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him, and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing". 13. His mother said to him, "Upon me be your curse, my son; only obey my word, and go, fetch them to me [5. P. 22–23].