David Nash (linguist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Nash
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|---|---|
| Born |
David George Nash
1951 (age 73–74) Parkes, New South Wales, Australia
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| Nationality | Australian |
| Education | Australian National University |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Linguist and anthropologist |
David George Nash (born in 1951) is an important Australian linguist. He studies the many different Aboriginal languages of Australia. He helps us understand and preserve these unique languages.
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Who is David Nash?
David George Nash, born in 1951, is an Australian expert in languages. He is known as a "field linguist." This means he travels to different places to study languages directly from the people who speak them. His main focus is on the many special languages spoken by Aboriginal people in Australia.
Early Life and Education
David grew up in a town called Parkes, in New South Wales, Australia. He first went to the Australian National University. There, he studied pure mathematics and then earned a master's degree in linguistics. Linguistics is the scientific study of language.
After that, he traveled to the United States. He studied at the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). At MIT, he worked with a very well-known linguist named Ken Hale. David earned his PhD in linguistics from MIT in 1980. Before returning to Australia, he also worked on a special project about words and their meanings at MIT.
Working with Aboriginal Languages
David Nash is an expert on the Warlpiri language. This language is spoken by Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory of Australia. He also knows a lot about other languages from this area.
He has studied the oral history of Aboriginal peoples. Oral history means stories and knowledge passed down through generations by speaking, not writing.
Helping with Land Claims
Because of his deep knowledge, David Nash has helped in important legal cases. He provides expert information about languages and oral history. This information is used to help Aboriginal groups make claims for their traditional lands.
He is also very knowledgeable about the history of research on Australian Aboriginal languages. He knows how these languages have been studied over time.
Current Work
David Nash works as a consultant for different Aboriginal organizations. This means he gives advice and shares his knowledge with them. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. This institute helps to preserve and share Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
