Find out more about the greatest 20th Century Linguists, including Noam Chomsky, Steven Pinker, Susie Dent, Girish Karnad and Jamie Hyneman.

Famous 20th Century Linguists

Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky
07 December 1928, American
Linguist
Steven PinkerSteven Pinker
18 September 1954, Canadian, American
Psychologist, Linguists

Enoch PowellEnoch Powell
16 June 1912, British
 

Roland BarthesRoland Barthes
12 November 1915, French
French Literary Theorist & Philosopher

Ferdinand de SaussureFerdinand de Saussure
26 November 1857, Swiss
Linguist

Girish KarnadGirish Karnad
19 May 1938, Indian
Linguist, Author, Film director, Actor,
Susie DentSusie Dent
21 September 1967, British
Lexicographer, Linguist

Pier Paolo PasoliniPier Paolo Pasolini
05 March 1922, Italian
Film director, Writer, Actor, Poet, Screenwriter,

Jamie HynemanJamie Hyneman
25 September 1956, American
Television presenter, Journalist, Linguist,

Julius NyerereJulius Nyerere
13 April 1922, Tanzanian
Linguist, Politician, Translator
Peter AbelardPeter Abelard
1079 AD, French
Theologian, Philosopher, Composer, Linguist, Poet,

Jean-François LyotardJean-François Lyotard
10 August 1924, French
Philosopher, Philologist, Writer, Linguist,
John McWhorterJohn McWhorter
06 October 1965, American
Linguist

Amos OzAmos Oz
04 May 1939, Israeli
Writer, Linguist, Journalist, Novelist,

J. L. AustinJ. L. Austin
26 March 1911, British
Philosopher, Educationist, Linguist, University
Roman JakobsonRoman Jakobson
11 October 1896, Russian
Linguist

Luce IrigarayLuce Irigaray
03 May 1930, Belgian, French
Philosopher, Linguist, University teacher,
Muhammad Tahir-ul-QadriMuhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri
19 February 1951, Pakistani
Linguist, Politician, Translator, Writer

Anne CarsonAnne Carson
21 June 1950, Canadian
Linguist, Poet, Translator, Writer, University

William LabovWilliam Labov
04 December 1927, American
Linguist
Michael HallidayMichael Halliday
13 April 1925, Australian, British
Linguist, Philosopher, Educationist, University

Robert BlyRobert Bly
23 December 1926, American
Linguist, Poet, Translator, Writer
Yasmina RezaYasmina Reza
01 May 1959, French
Actor, Linguist, Translator, Playwright, Novelist,

Michel ThomasMichel Thomas
03 February 1914, Polish
Linguist

Dell HymesDell Hymes
07 June 1927, American
Anthropologist, Linguist, University teacher,

Valentin InzkoValentin Inzko
22 May 1949, Austrian
Linguist, Diplomat
Sol PlaatjeSol Plaatje
09 October 1876, South African
Journalist
Michael VentrisMichael Ventris
12 July 1922, British
Linguist, Architect, Historian, Archaeologist

Nirmal VermaNirmal Verma
03 April 1929, Indian
Linguist, Translator, Writer, Literary critic

Sandra RoelofsSandra Roelofs
23 December 1968, Georgian, Dutch
Diplomat

Arthur WaleyArthur Waley
19 August 1889, British
Translator
Wolfgang IserWolfgang Iser
22 July 1926, German
Linguist, Writer, University teacher, Literary

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André BrinkAndré Brink
29 May 1935, South African
Linguist, Writer, Translator, Professor

Niki KarimiNiki Karimi
10 November 1971
Actor, Linguist, Film director, Translator,

Zellig HarrisZellig Harris
23 October 1909, American
Linguist

Teun A. van DijkTeun A. van Dijk
07 May 1943
Linguist, University teacher, Sociologist
William StokoeWilliam Stokoe
21 July 1919, American
Linguist

John Rupert FirthJohn Rupert Firth
17 June 1890, British
Linguist
Charles Kay OgdenCharles Kay Ogden
01 June 1889, British
Linguist

Guillermo Cabrera InfanteGuillermo Cabrera Infante
22 April 1929, Cuban, Spanish, British
Linguist, Screenwriter, Translator, Essayist,

Jon EliaJon Elia
14 December 1931, Pakistani
Linguist, Philosopher, Poet, Literary critic
Ștefan BaciuȘtefan Baciu
29 October 1918, Romanian
Linguist, Poet, Diplomat, Literary historian,

Lennart HellsingLennart Hellsing
05 June 1919, Swedish
Linguist, Poet, Writer, Translator, Children's
S.I. HayakawaS.I. Hayakawa
18 July 1906, Canadian, American
Politician