Postgraduate Course: History of Scots (LASC11130)
Course Outline
School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
Summary | The course examines the emergence, structure and status of Scots from its earliest beginnings to c.1900. |
Course description |
The course will study the emergence, structure and status of Scots from its earliest beginnings to c.1900. For each major stage in the language's development, the course will: (i) survey the socio-historical context; (ii) identify the major structural changes; (iii) consider theories of linguistic change. Students will additionally learn to read and analyse selected Older and early Modern Scots texts and to interpret Scottish place-names and other commonly-used Scottish terms. As the course progresses, there will be opportunity for some small-group discussions and interactive analyses of Older Scots texts.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students enrolled on the MSc in Medieval Literature and Cultures or any other non-Linguistics & English Language degree programme must check with the Course Organiser before enrolling. |
Course Delivery Information
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Academic year 2018/19, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
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Lecture Hours 27,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
167 )
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Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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Additional Information (Assessment) |
1. A mid-course assignment, chosen from a list provided by the lecturer, to assess knowledge of Older Scots lexis, spelling and grammar: 2,000 words, 50%
2. An end-of-course essay, chosen from a list provided by the lecturer, to assess engagement with the literature on the status of Older Scots: 2,000 words, 50% |
Feedback |
Ongoing feedback to students during lectures and seminars. Advice on assessed coursework throughout the course. Detailed marker comments on assessed coursework. A Q&A session in the final week on essay topics |
No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- comment on linguistic features of texts from Early, early Middle, late Middle and early Modern Scots
- describe diachronic developments at all levels of language in the history of Scots
- identify key figures and events in the history of the Scots language and explain their impact
- summarise and critically evaluate arguments concerning the status of Older Scots
- interpret Scottish place-names and other commonly-used Scottish terms
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Reading List
Görlach, M. 2002. A Textual History of Scots. Heidelberg: C. Winter.
Jones, C. (ed.) 1997. The Edinburgh History of the Scots Language. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Macafee, C. & A.J. Aitken. 2002. A history of Scots to 1700. In W. Craigie et al. (eds.), A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, vol. XII. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Online at: www.dsl.ac.uk/about-scots/history-of-scots/]
McClure, J.D. 1988. Why Scots Matters. Edinburgh: Saltire Society.
Murison, D. 1979. The historical background. In A.J. Aitken & T. McArthur (eds.), Languages of Scotland, 2:13. Edinburgh: Chambers.
Robinson, C. & R. Ó Maolalaigh. 2007. The several tongues of a single kingdom: the languages of Scotland, 1314:1707. In T.O. Clancy & M. Pittock (eds.), The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature, vol. 1, 153:63. Edinburgh: EUP.
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Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
Keywords | Scots,linguistics,history,language,medieval |
Contacts
Course organiser | Dr Benjamin Molineaux Ress
Tel: (0131 6)50 6977
Email: benjamin.molineaux@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Toni Noble
Tel: (0131 6)51 3188
Email: Toni.noble@ed.ac.uk |
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