1025.15 - Old Norse


Course number
1025.15
Title
Old Norse
ECTS
10
Prerequisites
An academically oriented upper secondary diploma with a good average mark in Faroese (i.e. at least 5.8 on the 7-step marking scale or 8 on the marking scale from 00 to 13).
Purpose
To provide students with a good understanding of Old Norse, enabling them to understand the language history of both Faroese and other Nordic languages. Given that Faroese originates from Old Norse, and that contemporary written Faroese is based on the spelling system used in Old Norse text, it is the basis for understanding Faroese in a historical context.
Content
Students read texts in conjunction with a revision of phonetics, i.e. ablaut, umlaut, breaking contraction and elision, in addition to consonant changes, such as assimilation, consonant shortening and consonant lengthening. The course will also examine the different classes of words such as nouns, adjectives, adverbs, numerals, verbs and some historical word classes.
Learning and teaching approaches
The course is structured as two times two hours over one semester. The main learning and teaching strategies used are lectures, student presentations, and exercises.
Learning outcomes
Successful students can demonstrate ability to: • explain different vowel and consonant mutations, such as umlaut, breaking contraction, elision and assimilation • explain the different noun roots and decline nouns in their definite and indefinite forms • compare adjectives and adverbs • decline personal pronouns and demonstrative pronouns • group verbs into weak and strong conjugation verb categories and conjugate verbs in the main tenses • translate Old Norse text into Faroese
Assessment method
5-hour written examination. Students are allowed to bring any dictionary to the examination.
Examination
External
Marking scale
7-
Contact
Anfinnur Johansen