ENG 492 History of the English Language:
The purpose of ENG 492 is to trace the development of the English language — the political, social and economic factors which have influenced its development throughout different periods of its history. Students are first introduced to the genetic hypothesis, the discovery of Sanskrit and the Proto-Indo-European family. They are then presented with details of the Germanic invasion and the resultant use of Old English. Middle English is discussed afterwards, with emphasis on the influence of the Norman Conquest and the French language. This is followed by the Early Modern English period, with the advent of the English dictionary and the efforts to ascertain the language. Works such as Beowulf, and those by Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Johnson will be considered for analysis respective to the periods.