Thursday, January 29, 2009

Class 2

January 27. Absent: Rebecca Catron

After introductions, we discussed the syllabus. I have adapted Dr. Sobol's syllabus with slight alterations. My intention is to follow his syllabus where possible, but also to make different approaches where it better suits my perspective and objectives. My primary objective being to make this course a study of Linguistics as it relates to Storytelling. To that end the BIG IDEA will be to consider IF there is a Grammar for Storytelling and WHAT that Grammar might be.

We discussed the 3 parts of the Journal Assignment: Collection of language examples, Etymologies, Neologisms. Journal entries are to be posted to the blog in an ongoing basis for the benfit of the entire class.

For etymologies, check the Online Etymology Dictionary. What are key words in the storytelling vocabulary? What are their origins? For example: "Story" "Tell" and so on.
Important for our studies, consider the etymology of "Word"

Please post additional notes on concepts and questions covered in today's class.

5 comments:

Mary B said...

STORY - account of some happening, c 1225; narrative of important events or people of the past. O. French - estorie; late Latin - storia; Latin - historia; recital of true events c 1375; narrative of fictitious events to entertain c 1500; not differentiated from history until 1500's; euphemism for lie 1697; newspaper article 1892; story teller 1709; story line 1941

David said...

Thanks Mary - now compare "tale" and "tell" and note the reference to numbers.

witch girl said...

express (v.)
c.1386, from M.L. expressare, freq. of exprimere "represent, describe," lit. "to press out" (perhaps via an intermediary sense of something like "clay that takes form under pressure"), from ex- "out" + pressare "to press, push," from L. primere. The adj. is from L. expressus "clearly presented," pp. of exprimere; and it led to the n. (first attested 1619) meaning "special messenger." Sense of "business or system for sending money or parcels" is 1794. An express train (1841) originally ran to a certain station. Expressionist as an artist who seeks to portray the emotional effect of the subject is first recorded 1850; expressionism in this sense is from 1908. Expressway is 1945, from express highway (1938).

Mary B said...

TALE - O.E. talu "story, tale, the action of telling," from P.Gmc. talo (Du taal "speech, language), from PIE base "del-"to count, recount." The secondary Eng. sense of "number, numerical reckoning," c1200.

TELLER - O. Fresian tale, M Du tal, "number." O.S. tala "number," O.H.G. zala, Ger. Zahl "number." The ground sense of the Mod, Eng. word in its main meaning, might have been "an account of things of things in their due order." Related to "talk" and "tell." Meaning things divulged that were given secretely, gossip from c1350; first record of tale bearer "tattletale," is from 1478.

TELL - (v.) O.E. "to reckon, calculate, consider, account." from P. Gmc. taljanan "to mention in order. Du tellen "to count, reckon," , from base talo (tale). To narrate, relate from c1000; that of "to make known by speech or writing, announce," from c1122 "to reveal, disclose," from c1400 "to act as an informer, to 'peach' is recorded from 1900. "To order someone to do something is from 1599. Sense evolution Fr "conter "to count;" racounter "to recount, narrate"

PEACE - (v.)to inform against 1570. To accuse, bring to trial, indict 1460.

Mary B said...

PEACE should have been PEACH. (next time I'll use "preview.)