Larry Trask
Encyclopedia
Robert Lawrence "Larry" Trask (November 10, 1944 - March 27, 2004) was Professor of Linguistics
at the University of Sussex
and an authority on the Basque language
and historical linguistics.
Born in upstate New York
, USA
, he initially studied chemistry
in his home country, but after a brief stint in the Peace Corps
he took an interest in linguistics. He received his PhD in linguistics from the University of London
, and thereafter taught at various universities in the United Kingdom
. He became a professor of linguistics at the University of Sussex.
He was an authority on the Basque language: his book The History of Basque (1997) is an essential reference on diachronic Basque linguistics and probably the best introduction to Basque linguistics as a whole. He was at work compiling an etymological
dictionary
of that language when he died, posthumously published by Max W. Wheeler (Etymological Dictionary of Basque, 2008). He was also an authority on historical linguistics
, and had written about the problem of the origin of language
.
He also published two introductory books to linguistics: Language: The basics (1995) and Introducing Linguistics (coauthored with Bill Mayblin) (2000), and several dictionaries on different topics of this science: A dictionary of grammatical terms in linguistics (1993), A dictionary of phonetics and phonology (1996), A student's dictionary of language and linguistics (1997), Key concepts in language and linguistics (1999), The dictionary of historical and comparative linguistics (2000) and The Penguin dictionary of English grammar (2000).
Other of his books include:
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
and an authority on the Basque language
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
and historical linguistics.
Born in upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he initially studied chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in his home country, but after a brief stint in the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
he took an interest in linguistics. He received his PhD in linguistics from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and thereafter taught at various universities in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He became a professor of linguistics at the University of Sussex.
He was an authority on the Basque language: his book The History of Basque (1997) is an essential reference on diachronic Basque linguistics and probably the best introduction to Basque linguistics as a whole. He was at work compiling an etymological
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
of that language when he died, posthumously published by Max W. Wheeler (Etymological Dictionary of Basque, 2008). He was also an authority on historical linguistics
Historical linguistics
Historical linguistics is the study of language change. It has five main concerns:* to describe and account for observed changes in particular languages...
, and had written about the problem of the origin of language
Origin of language
The origin of language is the emergence of language in the human species. This is a highly controversial topic. Empirical evidence is so limited that many regard it as unsuitable for serious scholars. In 1866, the Linguistic Society of Paris went so far as to ban debates on the subject...
.
He also published two introductory books to linguistics: Language: The basics (1995) and Introducing Linguistics (coauthored with Bill Mayblin) (2000), and several dictionaries on different topics of this science: A dictionary of grammatical terms in linguistics (1993), A dictionary of phonetics and phonology (1996), A student's dictionary of language and linguistics (1997), Key concepts in language and linguistics (1999), The dictionary of historical and comparative linguistics (2000) and The Penguin dictionary of English grammar (2000).
Other of his books include:
- Language change (1994)
- Historical Linguistics (1996), ISBN 0-340-60758-0
- The Penguin Guide to Punctuation (1997)
- The Penguin Dictionary of English Grammar (2000), ISBN 0-14-051464-3
- Time Depth in Historical Linguistics (co-editor) (2000), ISBN 1-902937-06-6
- Mind the Gaffe (2001), ISBN 0-14-051476-7
- How to Write Effective Emails (2005), ISBN 0-14-101719-8
External links
- The Larry Trask Archive
- Interview with The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Contributions to Ask-a-Linguist
- Larry Trask's review of The Atoms of Language: The Mind’s Hidden Rules of Grammar by Mark C. Baker
- http://www.informatics.sussex.ac.uk/department/docs/punctuation/node00.html
- Obituaries