Karl V. Teeter
Encyclopedia
Karl van Duyn Teeter was an American
linguist
known especially for his work on the Algic languages
.
Raised in Lexington, Massachusetts
, he dropped out of high school and joined the United States Army
, where he served as a Supply Sergeant from 1951-1954. Sent to Japan
to serve in the occupation forces, he became deeply interested in the Japanese language
and on returning received a bachelor's degree
in Oriental Languages from the University of California at Berkeley. There he continued his studies as a graduate student in linguistics
. His dissertation, supervised by Mary Haas
, was a description of the soon-to-be-extinct Wiyot language
.
Teeter's work on Wiyot not only provided the last and best data for this language, but set the stage for the resolution of the Ritwan controversy. Teeter not only provided crucial data, but recognized many of the correspondences with Algonquian
cited by Mary Haas. He later contributed some of the grammatical arguments which, along with those made by his student Ives Goddard
, finally settled the question.
With field work on Wiyot no longer possible, Teeter turned his attention to Malecite-Passamaquoddy, a distantly related Algonquian language of New Brunswick
and Maine
. His work on this language stimulated that of Philip LeSourd
.
After a term from 1959-1962 as Junior Fellow at Harvard University
, Teeter was appointed Assistant Professor of Linguistics. He remained at Harvard for the remainder of his career, eventually retiring in 1989 as Professor of Linguistics.
In 1968, he signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
He continued to work far into his retirement, concentrating on completing the lexicon of Wiyot on which he had been working since his student days, and encouraging research on endangered languages through participation in such organizations as the Foundation for Endangered Languages
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
known especially for his work on the Algic languages
Algic languages
The Algic languages are an indigenous language family of North America. Most Algic languages belong to the Algonquian family, dispersed over a broad area from the Rocky Mountains to Atlantic Canada...
.
Raised in Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington, Massachusetts
Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 31,399 at the 2010 census. This town is famous for being the site of the first shot of the American Revolution, in the Battle of Lexington on April 19, 1775.- History :...
, he dropped out of high school and joined the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, where he served as a Supply Sergeant from 1951-1954. Sent to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to serve in the occupation forces, he became deeply interested in the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and on returning received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Oriental Languages from the University of California at Berkeley. There he continued his studies as a graduate student in linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
. His dissertation, supervised by Mary Haas
Mary Haas
Mary Rosamund Haas was an American linguist who specialized in North American Indian languages, Thai, and historical linguistics.-Early work in linguistics:...
, was a description of the soon-to-be-extinct Wiyot language
Wiyot language
Wiyot is an extinct Algic language, formerly spoken by the Wiyot people of Humboldt Bay, California. The language's last native speaker, Della Prince, died in 1962...
.
Teeter's work on Wiyot not only provided the last and best data for this language, but set the stage for the resolution of the Ritwan controversy. Teeter not only provided crucial data, but recognized many of the correspondences with Algonquian
Algonquin language
Algonquin is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario...
cited by Mary Haas. He later contributed some of the grammatical arguments which, along with those made by his student Ives Goddard
Ives Goddard
Robert Hale Ives Goddard, III is curator emeritus in the Department of Anthropology of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution. He is widely considered the leading expert on the Algonquian languages and the larger Algic language family.-Early life and education:Ives...
, finally settled the question.
With field work on Wiyot no longer possible, Teeter turned his attention to Malecite-Passamaquoddy, a distantly related Algonquian language of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. His work on this language stimulated that of Philip LeSourd
Philip LeSourd
Philip S. LeSourd is a linguist and an anthropology professor at Indiana University in the United States. He is one of the world's foremost experts on the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language and the Algonquian language family....
.
After a term from 1959-1962 as Junior Fellow at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Teeter was appointed Assistant Professor of Linguistics. He remained at Harvard for the remainder of his career, eventually retiring in 1989 as Professor of Linguistics.
In 1968, he signed the “Writers and Editors War Tax Protest” pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War.
He continued to work far into his retirement, concentrating on completing the lexicon of Wiyot on which he had been working since his student days, and encouraging research on endangered languages through participation in such organizations as the Foundation for Endangered Languages
Foundation for Endangered Languages
The Foundation for Endangered Languages is a non-profit organization, registered as Charity 1070616 in England and Wales, founded in 1996. Its current chairman is Nicholas Ostler....
.