This course will take place online, for a reduced rate of Full £16 / Conc. £12
We will see how the huge vocabulary of English comes from sources as distant as the language of the Aztecs, Japan, and Tartar. We will look at how foreign words were shoehorned to fit English sounds, how mistakes make new words, and how words convey more than just definitions.
Who is this course for?
Anyone interested in finding out about the history of English words. No previous knowledge of the subject is necessary.
Will I need any equipment or materials?
This course will be held via Zoom. You need a computer/laptop or mobile phone to access the Zoom website, and a reliable internet connection. For further information on how to join a Zoom meeting, you can watch the joining video here.
You will need a computer or other device to connect with Zoom and a notebook/paper and pen/pencil, or digital equivalent.
Are there follow-on courses I can take?
We are running several courses around the history of language:
You will learn
By the end of this course, you will have learnt:
- The main pathways by which words have come into the English language
- How people tried to stop new words being used
- How folk etymology creates nonsense words that have been accepted into the English language
- Some bizarre, disputed, and wonderful curiosities.
Meet the Tutor
Julian Walker
Julian Walker worked as an educator at the British Library for 16 years. He teaches book and printing history, and the history of English.
A practising printmaker, he is also the authority on the English language during the First World War, a subject of ongoing research in the Languages and the First World War project, which he directs.
A former honorary research associate at UCL, he has written several books on the history of English in fields such as cooking, sport and conflict.
Need to Know
The London Voice
Online
The Language of Sport
Online
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