Dubravko Škiljan facts for kids
Dubravko Škiljan (born October 31, 1949, in Zagreb, died July 21, 2007, in Zagreb) was a Croatian expert in languages. He was known for his work on ancient languages and the study of signs and symbols.
Life and Learning
Dubravko Škiljan grew up in Zagreb, Croatia. After finishing primary school, he went to a special high school called a classical gymnasium. Here, he studied ancient subjects like Latin and Ancient Greek.
In 1972, he finished his studies at the University of Zagreb. He specialized in how languages work, Latin, and Ancient Greek. He also studied their stories and writings.
He continued his education, earning a master's degree in 1974. His master's paper was about the Greek language found on old monuments in a place called Salona. In 1976, he earned his PhD, which is the highest university degree. His PhD paper was about how language and thinking are connected.
Teaching Career
From 1972, Dubravko Škiljan taught Latin and Ancient Greek in a primary school. Then, from 1974, he taught at the Classical Gymnasium in Zagreb.
In 1977, he started working full-time at the University of Zagreb. He began as a teacher assistant. Later, he became a docent, which is a university lecturer. By 1986, he was a regular professor. He was re-elected to this role in 1992.
During his time at the university, he led the Department of General Linguistics. He also helped start and lead new departments for applied linguistics and semiotics. Applied linguistics is about how language is used in real life. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols. For a time, he was also a prodean for teaching, which means he helped manage the teaching programs.
From 1996 to 2003, he taught at the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. There, he created and led special programs for advanced students. These programs focused on how people use language and how society communicates. After this, he returned to his professor role at the University of Zagreb.
Contributions and Recognition
From 1973 until his death, Dubravko Škiljan wrote more than 250 papers. These papers covered many topics, including general language studies, the history of language, and the study of signs. Thirty-six of his works were published as books.
He took part in many scientific meetings in Croatia and other countries. He also led several research projects. Besides teaching regular classes, he gave lectures in cities like Prague, Paris, Trieste, Sarajevo, and Novi Sad. He also guided many students who were working on their master's and PhD degrees.
His book Mappa mundi won the Kiklop award in 2006. This is a well-known literary award in Croatia.
Dubravko Škiljan passed away in Zagreb in 2007 after a long illness.
Works
- 1976 Dinamika jezičnih struktura
- 1980 Pogled u lingvistiku
- 1985 U pozadini znaka
- 1988 Jezična politika
- 1991 Kraj lingvistike?
- 2000 Javni jezik
- 2002 Govor nacije: jezik, nacija, Hrvati
- 2006 Mappa mundi
- 2007 Vježbe iz semantike ljubavi
