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One inherent feature of language is that it is in constant change. Changes that occur on the phonetic/phonological level are of particular interest in this course. We focus on the development of the English sound system. Historical sound changes such as Grimm’s Law and the Great Vowel Change are discussed in the course as well as recent vowel changes, e.g. the Northern Cities Shift and the Southern Shift. Processes such as metathesis, lenition and assimilation are introduced and discussed in the context of English. The aim of the course is to get an understanding of various sound changes that have occurred and are occurring in varieties of English. |
