Course Information
CLAS 101 E - Latin and Greek in Current Use
Instructor: Catherine Chase
Pronouns: she/her/hers or they/them/theirs
Email: cechase@uw.edu
Office Hour: TBD
Department Course Coordinator: Professor Levin-Richardson
Email: sarahlr@uw.edu
About the Course
Preliminaries:
This course is asynchronous and will be conducted entirely online. All lectures will be recorded via Panopto and uploaded to Canvas where you can watch at a time convenient for you.
Required Text:
William J. Dominik, Words and Ideas (Bolchazy Carducci). Both the physical and electronic copies are available through the University Bookstore (Links to an external site.). The physical copy (rather than the electronic) is recommended, as it coincides with the page numbers listed on the syllabus. I understand that you may not be able to get the physical copy. If you do use the electronic copy, make sure to follow the headings.
Course Aims:
The aims of the class are twofold. First, we will seek to improve and increase English vocabulary through a study of the Latin and Greek elements in English, with emphasis on words in current literary and scientific use. The Latin and Greek word roots learned in this course will help you better understand how many English words have evolved, and prepare you to continue expanding your English vocabulary well after the class is over. Second, we will examine the ever-changing relationship between language and ideas in order to better understand the continuing impact of classical Greece and Rome on modern culture. This course aims to give you a sense of the stories, words, and ideas that we have adopted from the ancient Greeks and Romans and to help you identify classical influence when you encounter it.