OVERVIEW

The course offers an introduction to Old English, with particular attention to the historic conditions, which lead to the West Saxon cultural hegemony, as well as to the literary production of this specific dialectal area.

AIMS AND CONTENT

TEACHING METHODS

Traditional.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course offers an introduction to Old English, with particular attention to the historic conditions, which lead to the West Saxon cultural hegemony, as well as to the literary production of this specific dialectal area.

Detailed programme:

1) Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon history and culture and to the Old English literary production

2) Phonetic evolution from West Germanic to the Old English dialects

3) Old English dialectal areas

4) Elements of Old English morphology and syntax

5) Elements of Old English lexicon (Indoeuropean and Germanic heritage, loan words, calques, word formation)

6) Introduction to one or more Old English original texts, analysis of the manuscript tradition; linguistic analysis of selected passages, philological and etymological commentary to a series of terms included in the passages taken into consideration during the course.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

- “Materiali inerenti al Corso II A dell’a.a. 2016-2017”, ed. C. HÄNDL (see aula web);

- G. MAZZUOLI PORRU: Manuale di inglese antico, Giardini, Pisa 1977, pp. 11-25, pp. 36-37, pp. 74-78, 79-87, pp. 111-130

- M. GODDEN - M. LAPIDGE (eds.): The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature, 2nd edition Cambridge 2013, pp. 1-18 (The social and political background), pp. 142-159 (Beowulf), pp. 264-281 (The world of Anglo-Saxon learning);

In addition, for further reading, one of the following texts:

- C. HÄNDL: La letteratura tedesca medievale, I: Dalle origini all'età precortese, Edizioni ETS: Pisa, 2nd edition 2002, pp. 1-109

- A.M. LUISELLI FADDA: Tradizioni manoscritte e critica del testo nel medioevo germanico, Edizioni Laterza, Roma-Bari, 9th edition 2007 (or previous editions)

- P. SCARDIGLI: Lingua e storia dei Goti, Sansoni, Firenze 1964

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CHIARA BENATI (President)

CLAUDIA THERESIA HANDL (President)

DAVIDE AGOSTINO FINCO

PAOLO MARELLI

LESSONS

Class schedule

GERMANIC PHILOLOGY II A

EXAMS

Exam schedule