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An introduction to the study of the intricate processes involved in the creation, loss, and change of words in natural language, and the roots hidden hundreds or thousands of years prior that link together seemingly disparate sets of words like "shin", "science", "ski", and "squire". Looking at the origins and development of words from "derring-do" to "yeet", this course uses the lens of etymology—the study of where words come from and how they are interlinked with one another—to explore why (and how) does language change, and related questions: Why are there accents and dialects? How do changes in vocabulary relate to changes in culture, society, and technology? How did writing develop and spread? How does bilingualism affect the history of language? And how do new languages, new forms of grammar, and new words come about?

This noncredit class meets with a regular University of Utah credit course. Students can purchase any assigned hardcopy textbooks through our .