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Academic Mastery Sector > Module
Academic Mastery • Beginning Languages
Module Series • Sequential Series
Mixed Lecture/Discussion

This module is part of the Academic Mastery program. Please apply to the AM program before enrolling in this course


Beginning Old Norse is designed to learn the basics of reading and translating Old Norse from the ground up. Old Norse is a term used broadly to refer to languages and dialects of Viking Age and Medieval Scandinavia, and sometimes more specifically to refer to Old Icelandic, the form of the language used in Medieval Iceland. It was in Old Icelandic that the largest body of pre-modern Scandinavian literature was written, including the prose sagas and a wealth of mythological and legendary poetry. No prior knowledge of the language or study of historical languages is assumed or required.


Goals and Skills:

  • Beginning Old Norse aims to provide foundational material to learn to read original Old Norse-Icelandic texts in the original.
  • The skills acquired will enable students to continue reading more complex texts at the intermediate level. The course also teaches students a basic ability of Old Norse paleography, i.e. reading digital images of original medieval manuscripts written in the language.
  • Beginning Norse 1 and 2 are designed to give a comprehensive introduction to the northern branch of Germanic languages, which is essential for learning Germanic philology as a discipline and as good as any other gateway (e.g. Old English, Gothic, etc.) into the discipline.


    • This series is graduate level in intensity

    Required Texts

    New Introduction to Old Norse volumes 1, 2, and 3
    Grammar
    Reader
    Glossary

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