Dale Kinkade facts for kids

M. Dale Kinkade (1933–2004) was a very important linguist, which is someone who studies languages. He was especially known for his work on a group of languages called Salishan languages. These languages are spoken by Native American and First Nations people in the Pacific Northwest.

Early Life and Education

M. Dale Kinkade was born on July 18, 1933, in Hartline, Washington. He finished high school at Peshastin High School in 1950. He then went to the University of Washington, where he earned his first two college degrees in 1955 and 1957. Later, he went to Indiana University and received his highest degree, a Ph.D., in 1963.

Teaching and Research Career

After serving in the United States Army for three years, Kinkade began teaching. He taught at Washington State College from 1961 to 1964. Then, he moved to the University of Kansas, where he taught until 1973.

His main career was at the University of British Columbia in Canada. He taught there until he retired in 1998. He was known as a "Distinguished Professor of Linguistics," which means he was a highly respected expert in his field.

Helping Preserve Languages

Kinkade was very dedicated to helping preserve languages. He was one of the people who started the yearly International Conference on Salishan and Neighboring Languages in 1966. This conference brings together experts to study and protect these important languages.

He also served as a trustee for the Jacobs Fund. This fund helps support research on the languages and cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Even after retiring, he kept working. His last major work was a dictionary and grammar guide for the Cowlitz language, published in 2004.

His Work on Salishan Languages

Kinkade was famous for his deep research into Salishan languages. From 1960 to 1976, he did a lot of fieldwork. This means he traveled to meet speakers of these languages and learn directly from them. Many of these languages were "endangered," meaning very few people still spoke them.

Because of his own research and his knowledge of other studies, he became the top expert in Salishan linguistics. His important contributions include:

• Dictionaries for three Salishan languages:

* Moses Columbia (1981) * Upper Chehalis (1991) * Cowlitz (2004)

• Over one hundred research papers.
• Parts of the "Handbook of North American Indians," which is a big book series about Native American cultures.
• Many articles for encyclopedias and other general publications.

Salishan languages are known for being difficult to pronounce. Kinkade was known as a master of "phonetics," which is the study of how speech sounds are made.

Personal Interests

M. Dale Kinkade had a great sense of humor, though it was often subtle. He was also very generous with his time and knowledge. He loved classical music, especially opera, and was a strong supporter of the Seattle Opera. He was also a big fan of baseball. Sometimes, he would even listen to an opera while watching a baseball game!

Legacy

M. Dale Kinkade passed away on December 19, 2004, from a brain tumor. Shortly before his death, he was honored with a special book called "Studies in Salish linguistics in honor of M. Dale Kinkade." This book was written by other linguists to celebrate his important work.