María Rosa Lida de Malkiel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
María Rosa Lida de Malkiel
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| Born | 7 November 1910  |
| Died | September 25, 1962 |
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María Rosa Lida de Malkiel was an important Argentine philologist. A philologist is someone who studies language in old texts. She was especially known for her work on Spanish literature from the Middle Ages. She came to the United States to study and later taught at famous universities like Harvard University and Stanford University. She was also a member of important language academies in Spain and Argentina.
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Early Life and School
María Rosa Lida was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 7, 1910. Her family were Jewish immigrants. She grew up speaking Yiddish at home. She had two older brothers, Emilio and Raimundo. Raimundo also became a philologist, just like her.
María Rosa was a very good student. She finished high school in 1927. In 1932, she graduated from the University of Buenos Aires and won a prize for being the best student. She continued her studies and earned her doctorate in philology in 1947. Her main project was about a Spanish poet named Juan de Mena.
After finishing her studies, she received a special scholarship called a Rockefeller grant. This allowed her to go to the United States. She began teaching at Harvard University while continuing her research.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1948, María Rosa Lida married Yakov Malkiel. He was a scholar from Russia who also studied languages and their origins. They lived in Oakland, California. They did not have any children.
Her Career and Work
In the 1930s and 1940s, María Rosa taught Latin and Greek at the University of Buenos Aires. She also taught about Spanish literature from the Middle Ages.
When she moved to the United States in 1947, she taught at several top universities. These included the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, and Stanford University. She became an expert in "Romance philology," which is the study of languages like Spanish, French, and Italian. She was also a pioneer in studying King Arthur stories in Spanish literature.
Her work was highly respected. In 1953, she was chosen to be a member of the Real Academia Española in Spain. This is a very important group that looks after the Spanish language. In 1959, she also joined the Academia Argentina de Letras in her home country. She also helped guide two important academic journals.
María Rosa briefly visited Argentina in 1961. One of her last major works was a book called Two Spanish Masterpieces. It was about two famous Spanish books: The Book of Good Love and The Celestina. She had worked on her book about The Celestina for 15 years. It was published just three months after she passed away.
Later Life
María Rosa Lida de Malkiel died in Oakland, California, on September 25, 1962, from cancer. After her death, her husband, Yakov Malkiel, helped publish many of her notes and unfinished writings so her important work could be shared.
Important Books and Works
Here are some of the books María Rosa Lida de Malkiel wrote or helped create:
- 1944, Introduction to the theater of Sophocles (about an ancient Greek writer)
- 1949, History of Herodotus (translations of an ancient Greek history book)
- 1950, Juan de Mena, poeta del Prerrenacimiento español (about a Spanish poet)
- 1961, Two Spanish Masterpieces: The Book of Good Love, and The Celestina
- 1962, La originalidad artistica de La Celestina (The Artistic Originality of 'The Celestina') – published after her death
- 1967, The Tale of Igor's Campaign (an old Russian story), edited with Yakov Malkiel
Awards and Recognition
María Rosa Lida de Malkiel received several honors for her achievements:
- 1955, She was given an honorary doctorate from Smith College. This is a special degree given to people who have done great things.
- 1958, She received the Achievement Award from the American Association of University Women.
See also
In Spanish: María Rosa Lida de Malkiel para niños
