Edward Sapir

The renowned American linguist and anthropologist Edward Sapir (1884-1939) made substantial contributions to the study of language and linguistics. He was born in Lauenburg, Germany, and immigrated to America at the age of five with his family. Sapir graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 1904, and the same university also awarded him a Ph.D. in anthropology in 1909. Afterwards, he had academic posts at a number of institutions, including Yale University and the...See more

The renowned American linguist and anthropologist Edward Sapir (1884-1939) made substantial contributions to the study of language and linguistics. He was born in Lauenburg, Germany, and immigrated to America at the age of five with his family. Sapir graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Columbia University in 1904, and the same university also awarded him a Ph.D. in anthropology in 1909. Afterwards, he had academic posts at a number of institutions, including Yale University and the Universities of California, Berkeley, Chicago, and Los Angeles. At Yale, he taught anthropology and linguistics. Sapir's research centred on the study of language and culture, and he significantly influenced both of them. His writings on the topic, such as "The Takelma Language of Southwestern Oregon" and "The Southern Paiute Language," are widely regarded as pioneering studies of Native American languages. Sapir was not only a scholar but also a gifted poet and writer. In addition to "The Psychology of Culture" and "Selected Essays in Language, Culture, and Personality," he also produced many poetry collections. We now have a far deeper grasp of language and society as a result of Sapir's contributions to the fields of linguistics and anthropology. He is still a major player in the subject today, and his research is still being examined and discussed by academics all around the globe. See less