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

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at providing the instruments for the understanding of the linguistic and cultural evolution of the Germanic languages from their old phase onwards, thus allowing students to acquire the methods for a correct interpretation of Old English texts.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge and skills: students will be able to understand and describe the evolution of the ancient Germanic languages and culture, paying particular attention to the Old English language, literature and culture, which will allow them to read, analyse and comment on Old English texts of average difficulty.  On the basis of the study of the problems and methods of textual criticism, they will be able to use critical editions and other instruments, such as historical grammars and dictionaries.

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge and skills taught by prof. Benati, Germanic Philology I A (first semester)

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lectures with the support of the online education platform Aulaweb.

Please note: The program for non-attending students is the same as for attending students.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon history and culture and to the Old English literary production
• Phonetic evolution from West Germanic to the Old English dialects
• Old English dialectal areas
• Elements of Old English morphology and syntax
• Elements of Old English lexicon (Indoeuropean and Germanic heritage, loan words, calques, word formation)
• 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. 2023-2024”, 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. 295-313 (The world of Anglo-Saxon learning);

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

- C. FALLUOMINI: I Longobardi in Italia. Lingua e cultura, Edizioni dell'Orso: Alessandria 2015

- C. HÄNDL: La letteratura tedesca degli inizi, Edizioni dell'Orso, Alessandria 2021

- 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

- P. SCARDIGLI: Goti e Longobardi. Studi di Filologia germanica, Istituto Italiano di Studi Germanici, Roma 1987

- A.A. SOMERVILLE - R.A. McDonald: The Vikings and their Age, University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 2a edizione 2013

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CLAUDIA THERESIA HANDL (President)

PAOLO MARELLI

CHIARA BENATI (President Substitute)

DAVIDE AGOSTINO FINCO (Substitute)

FRANCESCO SANGRISO (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

In the first week of the second semester

Class schedule

GERMANIC PHILOLOGY II A

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam. For further details see below "assessment methods".

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral exam will deal with the course topics. Students will be asked to read, translate the Old English text(s) analysed during the course and to comment on its/their linguistic features. Further questions will deal with Old English language, literature, history and culture, as well as on the text, which the candidate has chosen to complete his/her preparation. The evaluation will not only take into account the student’s knowledge and understanding of the course topics (class notes, syllabus, bibliography and other materials on the platform Aulaweb), but also his/her ability to use appropriate language and specific terminology. Evaluation in marks out of thirty.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with ASD certification, disability or other special educational needs are advised to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination methods that take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools.