Randolph Quirk, Baron Quirk
Encyclopedia
Charles Randolph Quirk, Baron Quirk, CBE
, FBA
(born 1920) is a British linguist
.
, the son of Thomas and Amy Randolph Quirk. He attended King William's College
on the Isle of Man and then went to University College London
to read English under Albert Hugh Smith
. His studies began in 1939 but were interrupted by the war in 1940, to be completed from 1945 to 1947. He was awarded MA, PhD, and D.Lit and became a lecturer in English at UCL from 1947 to 1954. He was also a Commonwealth Fund
Harkness Fellow, at Yale and Michigan from 1951 to 1952. In 1954 he became Reader at the University of Durham, becoming Professor there in 1958. He returned to UCL as Professor in 1960 and in 1968 succeeded Smith as Quain Professor
, a post he held until 1981.
Quirk lectured and taught seminars at University College, London, in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) and in History of the English Language. These two disciplines were part of a ten-discipline set of Final examinations in the undergraduate syllabus. At that time, Old and Middle English, along with History of the English Language, were all compulsory subjects. He also worked closely with A.C. Gimson and J.D. O'Connor of the Phonetics Department, sitting in as an examiner for Phonetics oral examinations on occasion.
, conducted an ambitious project known as the Survey of English Usage
. This compilation of a large body of English language data (a corpus) comprised one million words as recorded in actual use in everyday life. Previous grammars had tended to overuse the canon of English Literature. The project was to be the foundation of A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, a reference grammar widely used around the world. This was the first grammar of English in real use rather than one based on rules handed down by teachers and scholars from Latin
and Greek
models. These had been considered to be "correct" models for living English. Instead of declaring what was correct grammatical usage, Quirk and his collaborators proposed a descriptive rather than prescriptive grammar, showing readers that different groups of English speakers chose different usages, arguing that what is correct is what communicates effectively. Basil Bernstein
, sociolinguist, made his name from showing similar choices of variants of English usage.
from 1985 to 1989 and became a life peer
as Baron Quirk, of Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden
in 1994.
He currently resides in Germany and England, with his wife, German linguist Gabriele Stein.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FBA
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
(born 1920) is a British linguist
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....
.
Early life and career
Quirk was born at Lambfell, in Michael on the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, the son of Thomas and Amy Randolph Quirk. He attended King William's College
King William's College
King William's College is a leading world International Baccalaureate HMC independent school for ages 3 to 18, situated near Castletown on the Isle of Man...
on the Isle of Man and then went to University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
to read English under Albert Hugh Smith
Albert Hugh Smith
Albert Hugh Smith OBE was a scholar of Old English and Scandinavian languages and played a major part in the study and publication of English place-names....
. His studies began in 1939 but were interrupted by the war in 1940, to be completed from 1945 to 1947. He was awarded MA, PhD, and D.Lit and became a lecturer in English at UCL from 1947 to 1954. He was also a Commonwealth Fund
Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private U.S. foundation whose stated purpose is to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, especially for society's most vulnerable.-History:...
Harkness Fellow, at Yale and Michigan from 1951 to 1952. In 1954 he became Reader at the University of Durham, becoming Professor there in 1958. He returned to UCL as Professor in 1960 and in 1968 succeeded Smith as Quain Professor
Quain Professor
Quain Professor is the professorship title for certain disciplines at University College, London, England. The title is derived from Richard Quain who became professor of anatomy in 1832 at what was to become UCL...
, a post he held until 1981.
Quirk lectured and taught seminars at University College, London, in Old English (Anglo-Saxon) and in History of the English Language. These two disciplines were part of a ten-discipline set of Final examinations in the undergraduate syllabus. At that time, Old and Middle English, along with History of the English Language, were all compulsory subjects. He also worked closely with A.C. Gimson and J.D. O'Connor of the Phonetics Department, sitting in as an examiner for Phonetics oral examinations on occasion.
"Survey of English Usage"
During the early 1960s, Randolph Quirk and colleagues, among them Valerie Adams, Derek Davy and David CrystalDavid Crystal
David Crystal OBE FLSW FBA is a linguist, academic and author.-Background and career:Crystal was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He grew up in Holyhead, North Wales, and Liverpool, England where he attended St Mary's College from 1951....
, conducted an ambitious project known as the Survey of English Usage
Survey of English Usage
The Survey of English Usage was the first research centre in Europe to carry out research with corpora. The Survey is based in the Department of English Language and Literature at University College London.- History :...
. This compilation of a large body of English language data (a corpus) comprised one million words as recorded in actual use in everyday life. Previous grammars had tended to overuse the canon of English Literature. The project was to be the foundation of A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, a reference grammar widely used around the world. This was the first grammar of English in real use rather than one based on rules handed down by teachers and scholars from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
models. These had been considered to be "correct" models for living English. Instead of declaring what was correct grammatical usage, Quirk and his collaborators proposed a descriptive rather than prescriptive grammar, showing readers that different groups of English speakers chose different usages, arguing that what is correct is what communicates effectively. Basil Bernstein
Basil Bernstein
Basil Bernstein was a British sociologist and linguist, known for his work in the sociology of education.-Biography:...
, sociolinguist, made his name from showing similar choices of variants of English usage.
Summer School of English
One of Quirk's favourite enterprises was the "London University Summer School of English" where the above-mentioned colleagues and other budding leading scholars and friends of his came to teach for a month. It was considered the most eminent body of English teachers anywhere in the world. The resident students were foreign academics, teachers, and students. He threw himself into the social life with gusto and enjoyed singing Victorian ballads over a "couple of pints" with a Cockney accent. When the School moved away from Queen Elizabeth College to New Cross, numbers fell rapidly. The next and last successful Director was the phonetician J D O'Connor.Personal
Quirk became a Conservative supporter in later life life . He was made a lord for his secret support of Mrs Thatcher's educational reforms . He was president of the British AcademyBritish Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
from 1985 to 1989 and became a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Quirk, of Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
in 1994.
He currently resides in Germany and England, with his wife, German linguist Gabriele Stein.