What do J.R.R. Tolkien, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Amy Adams have in common? They’re all historical linguists!*

Learn about the history of language in a 75-minute introductory class on Historical Linguistics. Together, we will explore how this field has developed, and the changing meanings of words and language.

This class is suitable for people who have never heard of the OED and don’t know their Indo-European from their language isolates. Come along and expand your curiosity for words!

* LIES! Amy Adams is a Hollywood actress who only *played* a linguist in ‘Arrival’.

What will we cover?

In this online workshop, we will explore:

How Historical Linguistics developed
The changing meanings of words
What language family trees are
We'll start big with all languages around the world, and narrow our focus into how English developed - and why it's so hard to spell.
Your takeaway materials include lists of books and podcasts to keep your love of Linguistics going long into the future.

You’ll come away with a newfound appreciation of historical linguists and the language(s) you speak!

What will you need?

Paper and pens for taking notes

Accessibility

Closed Captions
Early Bird Cheap Tix
Free Tix for First Nation Attendees

Who will be teaching?

Theresa (she/her) received a minor in Linguistics (major in Classical Civilization) from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Her mother obtained a PhD in Psycholinguistics from the same institution. Growing up, she thought it was totally normal to discuss differing aspirations of the word ‘whale’.

Important info:

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FAQ

More about accessibility

Map by Minna Sundberg - Language Tree

Any other accessibility requests or questions? Just email Maddy (she/her) at melbourne@lanewaylearning.com