CLAS224 Word Elements
Department of Classics
Monmouth College

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
Spring Semester, 2003

Note: One advantage of a web-based schedule is that it can be adjusted frequently according to class progress. Students are advised to consult this page regularly for changes.

Part I: An Introduction to Words
Jan. 13 Words on words: Lederer, vii-xiii
Jan. 15 1st DIAGNOSTIC EXAM
Jan. 17 Dictionaries: Read Ayers, 16-25 and Etymology.
Electronic Dictionary Entry Analysis (due Jan. 29). Using Electronic Dictionaries; Oxford English Dictionary. Instructions for Using Electronic Dictionaries. PLEASE BRING YOUR DICTIONARY TO CLASS.
Jan. 22 Indo-European and Etymology: Read Ayers, 1-6, and American Heritage Dictionary (AHD), pp. 1598-1603.
Jan. 24 History of English: Ayers, 6-14 ("Power of English " video plus worksheet) Important Terms in Ayers
Jan. 27  History of English Cont.: Chaucer's Canterbury Tales / Words of the 20th Century
Jan. 29  Presentation on Dictionaries for Dictionary Surveys (due Feb. 10th) IN HEWES LIBRARY. See A Sampling of Dictionaries / Some Recent Dictionary Acquisitions.

Part II: Word Elements from Latin
Jan. 31 Ayers, 26-34 (definitions, bases) Word Elements and Their Uses / Rules for Definition.
Also Ayers, 136-142 (Latin Loan Words in Ayers and phrases). Read Editor's Preface to World Dictionary and Ayers, 196-197. A few of these phrases will be discussed in every class through March 17. They will be part of the first unit exam.
Dictionary Entry Analysis Due.
Feb. 3 Ayers, 35-40 (prefixes, assimilation) Lederer, 1 (grammagram, homophone, heteronym, capitonym) Latin Prepositions / Latin Prefix Chart / Assimilation of Prefixes / Important Terms in Lederer's Word Circus
Feb. 5 Ayers, 40-46 (abbreviations, acronyms) Lederer, 2 (anagram, aptagram, antigram) Abbreviations / Acronymns / Acronymns on Libraryspot.com /  Internet Emoticons, Smileys and Abbreviations 
Feb. 7 NO CLASS
Feb. 10 Ayers, 46-51 (back formations, aphresesis, aphesis); Lederer, 6 (beheadments, curtailments)
Ayers, 52-56 (combining bases, Roman numerals) Dictionary Surveys due.
Feb. 12 Ayers, 57-65 (hybrids, suffixes); Lederer, 3 (palindrome, semordnilap)
Feb. 14  Ayers, 65-70 (word analysis); Lederer, 4 Three Morphologically Identical Bases: PAR-
Feb. 17 Ayers, 70-82 (dissimilation, semantic change); Lederer, 5 (charade words) Animalia Romana
Feb. 19 Ayers, 82-89 (specialization/generation, functional change); Lederer, 7 (kangaroo words) Specialization and Generalization
Feb. 21 Ayers, 90-98 (degeneration/elevation, abstract/concrete); Lederer, 8 (acrobat words, spoonerisms) Degeneration of Meaning / Degeneration and Ethnic Stereotypes. Prospectus for Etymology Project  Due.
Feb. 24 Ayers, 98-100 (weakening, hyperbole, independent twins) Independent Twins: Definition / Independent Twins: List
Feb. 26  Ayers, 101-106  (changing concepts, diminutives)
Feb. 28 Ayers 106-112 (euphemisms, circumlocutions, jargon) Brand Names vs. Generic Names / Technospeak / Some Nursery Rhymes in Disguise / How College Professors Speak / Christmas Carols the Hard Way
Mar. 3 Ayers 102-116  (folk etymology); Lederer, 9 (abstemious words, mirror words, pangram, pyramid word, isogram);
Mar. 5 Ayers, 116-124 (clips and blends) ; Lederer, 10 (acrostic, lipogram) Clipped Words / Blends / Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky"
Mar. 7 Ayers, 124-128 (doublets); Lederer, 11 (logology, looper). Mid-Course Evaluation Due
Mar. 17 Ayers, 128-136 (latinisms, metathesis)
Mar. 19 1st UNIT EXAM See Sample Latin Unit Exam.
Mar. 21 How to do an electronic word search. Class meets in the Trotter Lab. Note: Electronic Word Search Assignment is due on March 31st.

Part III Word Elements from Greek
Note: Some italicized words and phrases on pp. 160-178 and 250-256 will be covered in class daily.
Mar. 24 Ayers, 158-160; 180-181; 255-256 (Introduction to Greek; Greek loan words)
Mar. 26 Ayers, 160-163; 178-187 (bases, combining bases, prefixes)  
Mar. 28  Quiz on Greek alphabet and loan words
Mar. 31 Ayers, 160-164; 179-183 (homonyms, eye rhymes); loan words 196-198 French and Spanish loan words Electronic Word Search Assignment due.
Apr. 2-4 No. class. Take-home assignment on World Dictionary.
Apr. 7  Ayers, 165-169; 183-196 (reduplication, onomatopoeia, word analysis)  German loan words
Apr. 9 Ayers, 170-178;  198-204 (word analysis, tautology); Italian loan words Progress Report on Etymology Project (optional) Due
Apr. 11 Ayers, 250-251; 204-211 (eponymy) Eponymy / Eponymy ID / Brand Names vs. Generic Names 
Apr. 14 Ayers, 252-253; 211-220; Surnames / English Personal Names from Greek / English Personal Names from Latin / English Loan Words in Other Languages
Apr. 16 Ayers, 220-226 An Anthology of -ologies, Some Words Derived from Literature
Apr. 23 Ayers 227-236 Phobias
Apr. 25  Ayers 231-240 Sports Terms
Apr. 28 Ayers, 240-256; Etymology Project Due.
Apr. 30 2nd DIAGNOSTIC EXAM
May 2 2nd UNIT EXAM See Sample Greek Exam and Greek Monster Match List
May 8 Class Meeting 6 P.M.. Group Presentations and Course Evaluations.

This  material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at toms@monm.edu.

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