IMC 2019: Sessions

Since the mid-20th century, literary linguistics has established itself as a flourishing and productive academic field. Work in the field has provided insight into literature - its production, reception, and interpretation - while also prompting modifications to existing linguistic theories, prompting changes to account for language that occurs in literature but may not occur in everyday communication. Recently, literary linguistics has begun to emerge as a viable tool for analyzing medieval texts, inspiring monographs (e.g., Antonina Harbus, Cognitive Approaches to Old English Poetry, 2012) and symposia. This session considers Old English and Middle English texts from a literary linguistic perspective, covering topics as diverse as audience perceptions, the manuscript and printing history of The Canterbury Tales, and the translation of cuidier in The Romaunt of the Rose. The session will shed light on the language and literature of the Old English and Middle English periods, as well as the diachronic development of language and literature in the English language more broadly.