Linguist Biographies

Contemporary era

Novruz Mammadov

b. March 15, 1947

Azerbaijani politician and translator, former Prime Minister of Azerbaijan

Modern era

Lennart Meri

March 29, 1929 – March 14, 2006

Estonian writer, filmmaker and politician; President of Estonia in 1992–2001 (1929-2006)

Medieval era

Sejong the Great

April 10, 1397 – February 17, 1450

Fourth king of Joseon (Korea), creator of Hangul

Modern era

Julius Nyerere

April 13, 1922 – October 14, 1999

Tanzanian politician and writer, first Prime Minister and President of Tanzania (1922–1999)

Medieval era

Geoffrey Chaucer

1343 – October 25, 1400

14th century English poet and author (1343–1400)

Early Modern era

Percy Bysshe Shelley

August 4, 1792 – July 8, 1822

British Romantic poet (1792–1822)

Early Modern era

Walter Scott

August 15, 1771 – September 21, 1832

Scottish novelist, poet and playwright (1771–1832)

Early Modern era

Jacob Grimm

January 4, 1785 – September 20, 1863

German philologist, linguist, jurist and mythologist (1785–1863)

Modern era

J. R. R. Tolkien

January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973

English writer and philologist (1892–1973)

Modern era

Samuel Beckett

April 13, 1906 – December 22, 1989

Irish writer (1906–1989)

Contemporary era

Haruki Murakami

b. January 12, 1949

Japanese writer (born 1949)

Modern era

C. Rajagopalachari

December 10, 1878 – December 25, 1972

Indian politician and activist (1878–1972)

Modern era

Sri Aurobindo

August 15, 1872 – December 5, 1950

Indian Bengali philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet and nationalist (1872–1950)

Modern era

Ehsan Danish

1914 – March 21, 1982

Pakistani poet, writer, linguist, and lexicographer (1914–1982)

Modern era

Jaun Elia

December 14, 1931 – November 8, 2002

Pakistani poet and writer (1931-2002)

Modern era

Abai Qunanbaiuly

July 29, 1845 – June 23, 1904

Kazakh poet, philosopher and composer (1845-1904)

Ancient era

Mesrop Mashtots

362 CE – February 17, 440 CE

Armenian theologian and linguist (362–440)

Modern era

Taha Hussein

November 14, 1889 – October 28, 1973

Egyptian writer and literary critic (1889–1973)

Medieval era

William Caxton

1422 – 1491

English merchant and printer (c. 1422–c. 1491)

Medieval era

Gerard of Cremona

1114 – 1187

Italian translator and astrologer (c. 1114 – 1187)

Medieval era

Henry Suso

March 21, 1295 – January 25, 1366

German Dominican friar and mystic

Modern era

Ahmad Hassan Dani

June 20, 1920 – January 26, 2009

Pakistani intellectual, archaeologist, historian, and linguist (1920–2009)

Modern era

Muhammad Hasan Askari

November 5, 1919 – January 18, 1978

Writer, Critic, Short story writer, translator (1919–1978)

Modern era

Maithili Sharan Gupt

August 3, 1886 – December 12, 1964

Indian poet and one of the pioneers of modern Hindi literature(1886-1964)

Medieval era

William Tyndale

1494 – October 6, 1536

English Bible translator and reformer

Patanjali

Ancient Indian scholar(s) of grammar and linguistics, of yoga, of medical treatises

Medieval era

Peter Abelard

1079 – April 21, 1142

French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician (c.1079-1142)

Modern era

Jose Marti

January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895

Cuban poet, philosopher and nationalist (1853-1895)

Early Modern era

Samuel Johnson

September 18, 1709 – December 13, 1784

English writer and lexicographer (1709–1784)

Modern era

George Bernard Shaw

July 26, 1856 – November 2, 1950

Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist (1856–1950)

Modern era

Seamus Heaney

April 13, 1939 – August 30, 2013

Irish poet, playwright, translator, lecturer (1939–2013)

Modern era

Machado de Assis

June 21, 1839 – September 29, 1908

Brazilian writer (1839–1908)

Modern era

Julio Cortazar

August 26, 1914 – February 12, 1984

Argentine writer and translator (1914–1984)

Modern era

Noam Chomsky

b. December 7, 1928

American linguist and activist (born 1928)

Modern era

Jose Rizal

June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896

Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath (1861–1896)