Department of English - Carnegie Mellon University
The English Department is both inspired by the richness of the humanist tradition and dedicated to innovation. Our graduates enter careers in academia and the professions well-prepared to meet the changing needs of society with creativity, historical perspective, global awareness, and outstanding communication skills.
English Department News
Eight Dietrich College seniors, including two from the Department of English, have been selected to the Andrew Carnegie Society (ACS) Scholars Class of 2016.
Ever since Michael Rectenwald earned a Ph.D. in literary and cultural studies from CMU in 2004, he’s been a prolific writer of significant books.
As Carnegie Mellon University alumna Berryhill McCarty (DC’14) goes through the lengthy process of applying to some of the best medical schools in the country, including Columbia, Duke and Harvard, she feels confident that her bachelor of arts degree in English will be valuable to her career in medicine.
Poetry and Photography by Jim Daniels and Charlee Brodsky
The Robert Morris University Media Arts Gallery will open an exhibition on Oct. 1 featuring the work of two Carnegie Mellon University artists.
Highlighted Events
Cèilidh 2015: English Department Social MixerThursday, October 8, 4:30pm-6:30pm, Baker Hall Terrace
Prospective MA Student Open HouseFriday, October 16, 1:00pm-3:00pm, the Swank Room, Baker Hall 255B
.Faculty Books. Literature and the Law of Nations, . Oxford University Press, 2015.New Directions
Laura Moss is Canadian Literature's new editor
Tara Lee wins Fairclough Award
New McLean Chair Appointment
Margery Fee as McLean Chair,
Beyond Earthly Appetites
Essay Contest First Place Winner, Karoline Pasciano
Contributions to Canadian Theatre
Kudos to Jerry Wasserman on his 2 recent awards
Killam Teaching Prize 2015
Tiffany Potter wins a Killam Teaching Prize
CAREERS FOR ENGLISH GRADUATES
A degree in English, in Literature or Language, is a particularly good
bet for future-proofing an undergraduate degree--that is, for making an
degree useful in five years or twenty. Studies of university
programs and
career trajectories report, more and more, that graduates
who can process
texts, understand systems of signs, read critically,
and communicate
effectively are especially well positioned for
employment.
UPCOMING DEPARTMENTAL EVENTS
for a complete listing of our events.
Department of English
397 - 1873 East Mall
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada
Tel: 604.822.5122
Fax: 604.822.6906Beijing may implement a strict odd-even license plate scheme on alternate days as winter approaches, a move analysts say will have a significant effect on the capital's air quality. According to Beijing's new air pollution contingency plan, released in March, measures will be taken if severe air pollution is detected for over 72 hours.
•&•&•&•&
China is open to any trade mechanism as long as they follow the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and are good to economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region. Gao made the remarks in a recent interview concerning the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)...
•&•&•&•&
The reluctance of the United States to share intelligence on Syria will not hamper Russia's operations in the war-torn country as Moscow has sufficient information from other sources, a Russian official said Thursday. "We get this information from sources in a number of other countries...
•&•&•&•&
"xiong you cheng zhu" is a Chinese idiom which means "to have a well-thought-out plan before hand".
•&•&•&•&
Huaxia Bank Co Ltd, a mid-sized Chinese commercial lender, has been offering more innovative financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises, transforming its business.
•&•&•&•&
Investment Guide
Things to do
Information
•&•&•&•&•&•&•&•&•&•&•&•&
v&v&v&v&v&
There are few differences between the layout of Beijing's inner city when comparing its Qing Dynasty () and Ming Dynasty () layout. The only salient change was that many large residences for the nobility were built in Beijing.
Thousands of years of history have been recorded in every inch of the sky and the land in Beijing. Here every brick and tile has recorded a story handed down, and every old custom reveals the rich heritage of the Chinese culture.
More people are choosing a career based on contract or part-time jobs thanks to Internet.More and more Chinese choose to explore the world on their own.of, relating to, or characteristic of
or its inhabitants, institutions, etc.
belonging or relating to, or spoken or written in, the English language: a high-school E an English translation of a Spanish novel.
the people of England collectively, especially as distinguished from the Scots, Welsh, and Irish.
the Germanic language of the British Isles, widespread and standard also in the U.S. and most of the British Commonwealth, historically termed Old English (c450–c1150), Middle English (c1150–c1475), and Modern English (after c1475). Abbreviation:
English language, composition, and literature as offered as a course of study in school.
a specific variety of this language, as that of a particular time, place, or person: American E Shakespearean English.
simple, straightforward language: What does all that jargon mean in English?
Sports. (sometimes lowercase)
a spinning motion imparted to a ball, especially in billiards.
Printing. a 14-point type of a size between pica and Columbian.
a grade of calendered paper having a smooth matte finish.
to translate into English: to English Euripides.
to adopt (a foreign word) into E Anglicize.
(sometimes lowercase) Sports. to impart English to (a ball).
before 900; Middle E Old English Englisc, equivalent to Engle (plural) the English (compare Latin Anglī; see ) + -isc 1
Englishness, noun
anti-English, adjective
half-English, adjective
non-English, adjective, noun
pre-English, adjective
pro-English, adjective
pseudo-English, adjective
quasi-English, adjective
the many and varied dialects of English spoken in different parts of the world, including not only American and British English, but such varieties as Indian, Pakistani, Australian, and New Zealand English, as well as the English spoken in various African and Asian countries. In some parts of the world, English is spoken as a natural outgrowth of a colonial period during which certain countries, now independent, were part of the British Empire. In other places, people have been encouraged to learn English because of its widespread use as a language of global communication.
Also called varieties of English.
In the singular form, the term world English refers to a movement to promote the use of English globally as an official , a means of worldwide communication. There is, however, some concern about whether or not there should be a single standard form of this global language.
UnabridgedBased on the Random House Dictionary, (C) Random House, Inc. 2015.
Examples from the Web for
Contemporary Examples
Jamshid is now a diligent student at a local college, studying English and beginning his journey.
July 2, 2010
Type in a question in plain English: "What was the weather in Rancho Mirage when Gerald Ford died?"
May 7, 2009
There are many more moments of dry English humor, including Nigel's visit to the Biltmore Estate.
December 11, 2013
What does it mean for a Chinese tiger, stuffed by the English, to be left as moth-food today?
October 4, 2012
One comes to me from Mr. Hyde, my wonderful English teacher at Andover.
July 16, 2013
Historical Examples
"I always feel like a traveling anachronism in one of your English trains," he said.
Louis Joseph Vance
They have seen the telegraph line, as can be seen by signs they make, but they cannot speak English.
John Forrest
She had not counted on the postal arrangements of the English Sabbath.
Hall Caine
Lucas spoke to him in Flemish to explain his own return with the English prentice.
Charlotte M. Yonge
The English ship was fairly covered with bits of the flying wreck.
Willis J. Abbot.
British Dictionary definitions for
the official language of Britain, the US, most parts of the Commonwealth, and certain other countries. It is the native language of over 280 million people and is acquired as a second language by many more. It is an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch See also , ,
(functioning as pl) the English, the natives or inhabitants of England collectively
(formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 14 point
an old style of black-letter typeface
(often not capital) the usual US and Canadian term for
(sense 16)
denoting, using, or relating to the English language
relating to or characteristic of England or the English
verb (transitive)
(archaic) to translate or adapt into English related prefix Anglo-
Englishness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition (C) William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.
(C) HarperCollinsPublishers , , ,
Word Origin and History for
"people of E the speech of England," Old English Englisc (contrasted to Denisc, Frencisce, etc.), from Engle (plural) "the Angles," the name of one of the Germanic groups that overran the island 5c., supposedly so-called because Angul, the land they inhabited on the Jutland coast, was shaped like a fish hook (see
The term was used from earliest times without distinction for all the Germanic invaders -- Angles, Saxon, Jutes (Bede's gens Anglorum) -- and applied to their group of related languages by Alfred the Great. After 1066, of the population of England (as distinguished from Normans and French), a distinction which lasted only about a generation.
In pronunciation, "En-" has become "In-," but the older spelling has remained. Meaning "English language or literature as a subject at school" is from 1889. As an adjective, "of or belonging to England," from late 13c. Old English is from early 13c.
"spin imparted to a ball" (as in billiards), 1860, from French anglé "angled" (see
(n.)), which is similar to Anglais "English."
Online Etymology Dictionary, (C) 2010 Douglas Harper
Slang definitions & phrases for
An English muffin (1950s+ Lunch counter)
An area now peaceful but recently and perhaps soon again the scene of violence: They had long since passed Ninety-sixth Street, the infamous DMZ/ Traversing Brooklyn's DMZ to go to a steak house
[1980s+; fr the region between North and South Korea designated the Demilitarized Zone when the Korean War ended]
The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
in Technology Expand
1. (Obsolete) The source code for a program, which may be in any language, as opposed to the linkable or executable binary produced from it by a compiler. The idea behind the term is that to a real hacker, a program written in his favourite programming language is at least as readable as English. Usage: mostly by old-time hackers, though recognisable in context. 2. The official name of the
language used by the
, actually a sort of , brain-damaged
with delusions of grandeur. The name permits marketroids to say "Yes, and you can program our computers in English!" to ignorant
without quite running afoul of the truth-in-advertising laws. ["Exploring the Pick Operating System", J.E. Sisk et al, Hayden 1986]. []
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, (C) Denis Howe 2010
Idioms and Phrases with
The American Heritage(R) Idioms DictionaryCopyright (C) , 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Word of the Day
Difficulty index for
Most English speakers likely know this word
Word Value for
Words With Friends
Related Words
Nearby words for english