Studying at York
English Place-names across Time & Space - LAN00072H
Module summary
This module will introduce students to the study of place-names in England. The first part of the spring term will introduce methods of place-name study and the languages used historically in place-name formation in England. We will then move on to explore the range of information—historical, archaeological and especially linguistic—that is preserved in place-names. Students will read and discuss book chapters and journal articles and will have the opportunity to carry out a detailed analysis of place-names from an area of England in which they are particularly interested.
Pre-requisite modules
Any two of the following:
-
History of English I (LAN00002C)
-
Introduction to Phonetics & Phonology (LAN00009C)
-
Introduction to Semantics (LAN00012C)
-
Introduction to Sociolinguistics (LAN00010C)
-
Introduction to Syntax (LAN00011C)
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Spring Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
The aims of this module are:
- to provide students with an understanding of how English place-names were formed and how they can be interpreted
- to provide students with an understanding of the historical and linguistic contexts of English place-name formation
- to develop an awareness of the different types of linguistic information that can be extracted from place-names.
- to investigate and describe features of historical varieties of English
- to develop students’ independent research skills.
Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, you should be able to:
- understand and apply methods used in the study of English place-names
- identify languages used in English place-names using place-name reference works
- find and use resources for investigating modern and historic stages of English
- assess the strengths and limitations of name material as a source of linguistic evidence
- carry out accurate linguistic analysis of place-name material
- synthesise information from a number of sources
- find and critically evaluate secondary literature
- plan and carry out an independent project
Module content
Provisional programme
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
|
Spring 2 |
Introduction: what’s in a name? Languages used in England’s place-names. |
|
Spring 3 |
Methods and resources in place-name studies; pre-English place-names |
|
Spring 4 |
Old English place-names; personal names in place-names |
|
Spring 5 |
Old Norse place-names. |
|
Spring 7 |
Naming in the second millennium CE: Old French and Middle and Modern English place-names |
|
Spring 8 |
Place-names and varieties of English |
|
Spring 9 |
Place-names, lexis and landscape |
|
Spring 10 |
Place-names and phonology |
|
Summer 1 |
Place-names and morphosyntax |
|
Summer 2 |
Field-names and street-names |
|
Summer 3 |
Place-names and other disciplines: history and archaeology |
|
Summer 4 |
Mapping workshop and field-trip |
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 70 |
| Open Examination | 30 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
Reassessed at the module level
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Oral feedback will be provided in seminars.
Students will submit extracts from their project corpora, for which they will receive individual written feedback.
Students will receive written feedback from the course instructor on both summative assignments within 20 working days.
Indicative reading
Introductory reading
Either of the following will provide a good introduction to the study of place-names in England:
Cameron, K. (1996). English Place-Names (new ed.). London: Batsford.
Gelling, M. (1997). Signposts to the past: Place-names and the history of England (3rd ed.). Chichester: Phillimore.
Indicative reading
Examples of articles and book chapters we will read and discuss in seminars are:
Coates, R. (2013). Place-names and linguistics. In J. Carroll & D. N. Parsons (eds.), Perceptions of place: Twenty-first-century interpretations of English place-name studies (pp. 129–58). Nottingham: English Place-Name Society.
Hough, C. (2010), Toponymicon and lexicon in North-West Europe: Ever-changing connection. E. C. Quiggin Memorial Lectures, 12. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic.
Kitson, P. R. (1995). The nature of Old English dialect distributions, mainly as exhibited in charter boundaries. In J. Fisiak (ed.), Medieval Dialectology (pp. 43–135). Berlin/New York: de Gruyter.