R. M. R. Hall
Encyclopedia
Richard Michael Ryan Hall (July 28, 1927 in Portland, Oregon
– November 11, 1996) was an American linguist who lived and worked in New York
. Hall went by the name "Mike Hall" for most of his adult life. Professor Hall taught linguistics at CUNY Queens College
from 1967 until the time of his death. The department chair, Robert Vago, noted that he was instrumental in founding its Department of Linguistics.
Hall served as a U.S. Army medical clerk in Germany near the end of World War II. He learned to speak German during his time served there, explaining to one of his students that his "rich uncle [Sam] sent me on vacation to Stuttgart
." Hall received his undergraduate degree
from Johns Hopkins University
in 1953 and his doctorate from New York University about ten years later. His dissertation was on the Yiddish language. In the 50's he taught English as a Second Language in Venezuela. He was a Fulbright Scholar
first in 1976-77 at the University of Khartoum in Sudan
and then in 1985 - 86 at the University of Bayreuth in Germany
. His areas of study and expertise (academically as well as professionally) included historical linguistics
, Indo-European studies
, theoretical
and applied linguistics
, and Nilotic
etymology. In 1976, Mike and Beatrice Hall spent a year in Sudan
collecting data on fourteen Nilotic languages. This was the groundwork for A Nilotic Etymological Dictionary, to which Hall devoted the next 20 years. At the time of his death, the dictionary contained over 1200 items, but had not yet been published.
He died of a heart attack following lung cancer surgery on November 11, 1996. At the time of his death, he was survived by his daughters, Margaret and Judith, his son John, and two grandchildren, Alexander and Elisabeth. His wife, Beatrice Lincoff Hall, a Professor of Linguistics at SUNY Stony Brook, died in 1982.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
– November 11, 1996) was an American linguist who lived and worked in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Hall went by the name "Mike Hall" for most of his adult life. Professor Hall taught linguistics at CUNY Queens College
Queens College, City University of New York
Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior colleges of the City University of New York. It is also the fifth oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning. The college's seventy seven acre campus is located in the heart of the...
from 1967 until the time of his death. The department chair, Robert Vago, noted that he was instrumental in founding its Department of Linguistics.
Hall served as a U.S. Army medical clerk in Germany near the end of World War II. He learned to speak German during his time served there, explaining to one of his students that his "rich uncle [Sam] sent me on vacation to Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
." Hall received his undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
from Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in 1953 and his doctorate from New York University about ten years later. His dissertation was on the Yiddish language. In the 50's he taught English as a Second Language in Venezuela. He was a Fulbright Scholar
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
first in 1976-77 at the University of Khartoum in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and then in 1985 - 86 at the University of Bayreuth in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His areas of study and expertise (academically as well as professionally) included historical linguistics
Historical linguistics
Historical linguistics is the study of language change. It has five main concerns:* to describe and account for observed changes in particular languages...
, Indo-European studies
Indo-European studies
Indo-European studies is a field of linguistics dealing with Indo-European languages, both current and extinct. Its goal is to amass information about the hypothetical proto-language from which all of these languages are descended, a language dubbed Proto-Indo-European , and its speakers, the...
, theoretical
Theoretical linguistics
Theoretical linguistics is the branch of linguistics that is most concerned with developing models of linguistic knowledge. The fields that are generally considered the core of theoretical linguistics are syntax, phonology, morphology, and semantics...
and applied linguistics
Applied linguistics
Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems...
, and Nilotic
Nilotic languages
The Nilotic languages are a group of Eastern Sudanic languages spoken across a wide area between southern Sudan and Tanzania by the Nilotic peoples, particularly associated with cattle-herding...
etymology. In 1976, Mike and Beatrice Hall spent a year in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
collecting data on fourteen Nilotic languages. This was the groundwork for A Nilotic Etymological Dictionary, to which Hall devoted the next 20 years. At the time of his death, the dictionary contained over 1200 items, but had not yet been published.
He died of a heart attack following lung cancer surgery on November 11, 1996. At the time of his death, he was survived by his daughters, Margaret and Judith, his son John, and two grandchildren, Alexander and Elisabeth. His wife, Beatrice Lincoff Hall, a Professor of Linguistics at SUNY Stony Brook, died in 1982.