Arthur Napier facts for kids

Arthur Sampson Napier (1853–1916) was a British philologist. A philologist is someone who studies languages, especially how they change over time. He was a very important professor at the University of Oxford.

Early Life and Education

Arthur Sampson Napier was born in Wilmslow, England. This was on August 30, 1853. He went to several universities to study. These included Owens College, Exeter College, Oxford, and the University of Göttingen in Germany.

A Career in Language

Napier became a professor at the University of Oxford. From 1885, he was the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature. This meant he taught about the English language and its stories. Later, in 1903, he also became the Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon. Anglo-Saxon is a very old form of English.

He was also made a "fellow" of Merton College, Oxford. This is a special honor given to important members of the college. In 1904, he became a fellow of the British Academy. This is a group of leading experts in the humanities and social sciences.

A Hobby with Stamps

Besides his work with languages, Napier had an interesting hobby. He loved collecting stamps! He was especially interested in stamps from Oxford colleges. He even gave talks and showed his collection to others. He also wrote many articles about these college stamps. These articles appeared in a magazine called Gibbons Stamp Monthly. From 1892, he was the Vice President of the Oxford Philatelic Society. A philatelic society is a club for stamp collectors.

Later Life

Arthur Napier passed away on May 10, 1916. He left behind a legacy of important work in the study of languages.