William O. Bright facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Bright
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| Born | August 13, 1928 Oxnard, California, United States
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| Died | October 15, 2006 (aged 78) Louisville, Colorado, United States
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| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley (B.A., Ph.D.) |
| Known for | Study of linguistics, California Indian languages. |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of California, Los Angeles, University of Colorado, Boulder |
| Doctoral advisor | Mary Haas |
| Notable students | Lyle Campbell |
William Oliver Bright (born August 13, 1928 – died October 15, 2006) was an American expert in languages. He was a linguist, which means he studied how languages work. He was also a toponymist, someone who studies place names.
William Bright focused on languages spoken by Native American communities and languages from South Asia. He was especially good at descriptive linguistics, which is about carefully describing how a language is used.
Contents
William Bright's Life and Education
William Bright was born in 1928 and lived until 2006. He spent many years studying languages.
Early Studies and Degrees
Bright went to the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his first degree in linguistics in 1949. Later, in 1955, he completed his doctorate degree in the same field.
Teaching Career and Research
From 1959 to 1988, Bright was a professor at UCLA. He taught both linguistics and anthropology, which is the study of human societies and cultures. After UCLA, he moved to the University of Colorado at Boulder. He continued teaching there until he passed away.
William Bright's Work with Languages
Bright was a leading expert on the languages and cultures of Native Americans in California. He was known for his important work on many different languages.
Studying the Karuk Language
One of his most famous projects was studying Karuk, a Native American language from northwestern California. His research was the first of its kind for the Survey of California and Other Indian Languages.
Because of his efforts to record and help bring back the Karuk language, he was made an honorary member of the Karuk tribe. This was a special honor, as he was the first outsider to receive it. His work helped the language to be used again.
Other Languages He Studied
Bright also researched other Native American languages, including:
He also studied languages from South Asia, such as:
Understanding Place Names
A special part of his work was studying toponyms. These are place names, like the names of towns, rivers, or mountains. He helped us understand the importance of Native American place names and what they mean to different tribes and groups in California.
William Bright's Role in Language Journals
Bright was involved in several important journals about language. These journals publish research and articles for other linguists.
Editor of Language
From 1966 to 1988, he was the editor of Language. This is a major journal published by the Linguistic Society of America.
Editor of Other Journals
He also edited Language in Society from 1993 to 1999. In 1997, he helped start a new journal called Written Language and Literacy, and he was its first editor until 2003.
President of the Linguistic Society
In 1989, William Bright was chosen to be the president of the Linguistic Society of America. This shows how respected he was in the field of linguistics.
Family Life
William Bright was married to fellow linguist Lise Menn starting in 1986. He was also the father of author Susie Bright. William Bright passed away in 2006 due to a brain tumor.
