Universität Wien

120226 SE Linguistics Seminar / MA historical & descriptive linguistics (2017S)

Semantic Change

10.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Please note: the semester schedule for this course includes a seminar conference to be held with Prof. Seidlhofer's seminar, on Friday June 2nd (14.00-20.00) & Saturday June 3rd (9.00-14.00). In exchange for time spent at the seminar conference a number of regular seminar sessions will not be held.

Important: ONLY register for this course if you can make those dates since attendance during the entire seminar conference is mandatory for course completion.

  • Monday 06.03. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 20.03. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 27.03. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 03.04. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 24.04. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 08.05. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 15.05. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 22.05. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 29.05. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 12.06. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 19.06. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Monday 26.06. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

In this course, we attempt to describe and explain changes in the meanings of English words such as 'to cope with', which originally meant 'to fight with' or 'to worry', which originally meant 'to strangle'. We collect evidence from the Oxford English Dictionary Online and from diachronic corpora such as the Corpus of Historical American English, and try to account for it in terms of recent theories of semantic change. We investigate the interplay between pragmatic mechanisms of meaning construction and negotiation and the transmission of conventionalised lexical meanings, identify the mechanisms exploited for semantic innovation and attempt to detect any general principles by which semantic change may be driven.

The aim of this course is to develop expertise in the description of word meaning and its situational and historical variability, and in the systematic treatment of dictionary and corpus data. We shall also try to develop an understanding of linguistic meanings as cultural constructs that owe their historical stability to successful transmission, that are highly variable, and that are subject to evolutionary change.

Assessment and permitted materials

Classroom participation, project proposal (conceptual, bibliographical and methodological), oral presentation at a seminar conference, written bachelor paper.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

(a) regular class attendance (max. 2 absences) and full attendance of seminar conference
(b) handing in project proposal (on time)
(c) giving the oral presentation (on set date)
(d) handing in the bachelor paper (on time)
(e) attaining 60 of the maximum of 100 points.
The pass rate is > 60%.

Examination topics

See 'minimum requirements'.

Reading list

Traugott, Elizabeth Closs and Richard B. Dasher. 2002. Regularity in Semantic Change. Cambridge: University Press.

more TBA

Association in the course directory

Studium: MA812 [1]; MA 812 [2]; UF 344
Code/Modul: MA 04; UF 222
Lehrinhalt: 12-0368

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:33