Daniel Kane (linguist) facts for kids
Daniel Kane (born 1948 – died April 16, 2021) was an expert from Australia who studied languages. He was known as one of the world's top experts on two old languages: Jurchen and Khitan language. He also studied the special writing systems (scripts) used for these languages.
About Daniel Kane
Daniel Kane was born in 1948 in Melbourne, Australia. When he was young, his father passed away. Because of this, he started working at a bank when he was just 15 years old. He worked as a teller, helping people with their money.
At the bank, Daniel found out he had a special talent for languages. Many people from different countries came to Melbourne. He noticed he could easily talk to them, even if they spoke different languages.
He decided to study more in his free time. He worked hard and eventually got into the Melbourne University. He did very well in several language subjects.
In 1971, he earned a high-level degree in Chinese from Melbourne University. After that, he received a scholarship to study for his Ph.D. at the ANU. In 1975, he finished his Ph.D. His special project was about the Jurchen language. This was an old language related to Manchu, spoken during the Jin dynasty in North China. He also earned another degree in Asian Studies in 1976.
Besides his studies, Daniel Kane also worked in diplomacy. This means he worked for the Australian government, helping with international relations. In 1976, he joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. He was sent to Beijing, China, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was there during an important time when China was changing. Later, in the 1990s, he was a Cultural Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Beijing. This role meant he helped share Australian culture in China.
He also continued his work in universities. In 1981, he taught Chinese at the University of Melbourne. He was also a visiting scholar at Peking University in China in 1988 and 1993. Since 1997, he was a Professor of Chinese at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
In 2010, his wife, Yè Xiǎoqīng, who was a scholar from Shanghai, passed away. They had a son named Ian. Later in his life, Daniel Kane faced health challenges. He passed away on April 16, 2021.
Books by Daniel Kane
Scholarly Books
Daniel Kane wrote several important books for other scholars and experts. These books are often used by people who study languages and history.
- Daniel Kane 1989. The Sino-Jurchen Vocabulary of the Bureau of Interpreters. This book helps us understand the Jurchen language better. ISBN: 0-933070-23-3.
- Daniel Kane 2009. The Kitan Language and Script. This book is a detailed study of the Khitan language and its writing system. ISBN: 978-90-04-16829-9.
- Kane, Daniel. 1997. "Language Death and Language Revivalism the Case of Manchu". This article talks about how languages can disappear and how people try to bring them back, using the Manchu language as an example.
Popular Books
He also wrote books that are easier for everyone to read, not just scholars.
