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Frederik KortlandtProfessor of Descriptive and Comparative Linguistics at Leiden University
Date of Birth: 19.06.1946
Country:  Netherlands |
Content:
- Linguistic Expertise
- Kurgan Hypothesis and Macrofamilies
- Uralo-Siberian and Eurasiatic
- Academic Journey
- Proto-Indo-European Language
- Indo-Uralic and Denominative Verbs
- Honors and Recognition
Linguistic Expertise
Frederik Kortlandt is Professor of Descriptive and Comparative Linguistics at Leiden University. His research encompasses Baltic, Slavic, and Indo-European languages, including Proto-Indo-European reconstructions. He also studies languages from other families.
Kurgan Hypothesis and Macrofamilies
Kortlandt has proposed a revised version of the Kurgan Hypothesis, specifying its chronology and linking it to linguistic reconstructions. He has delved into the grouping of language families into macrofamilies, including the Indo-Uralic Hypothesis.
Uralo-Siberian and Eurasiatic
Kortlandt posits a link between Indo-Uralic and Nivkh to a hypothetical Uralo-Siberian language family, which he traces back to Greenberg's Eurasiatic proto-language. He, along with Jan van Driem, is a prominent figure in the Leiden School of Linguistics, which views language as a type of meme.
Academic Journey
Kortlandt earned five degrees from the University of Amsterdam: B.A. (1967) in Slavic Linguistics and Literature, B.A. (1967) in Mathematical Economics, M.A. (1969) in Slavic Linguistics, M.A. (1970) in Mathematical Economics, and Ph.D. (1972) in Mathematical Linguistics.
Proto-Indo-European Language
Kortlandt has constructed the Proto-Indo-European verb system, with Slavic verbs in -ti as continuations of Proto-Indo-European stative verbs. He has compared these verbs to Hittite hi-verbs and posited a dative subject originally associated with them.
Indo-Uralic and Denominative Verbs
Kortlandt suggests a connection between Indo-European and Uralic languages based on denominative verbs. He proposes the existence of a stative verb inflection -o (3rd person singular) in both Proto-Indo-European and Indo-Uralic.
Honors and Recognition
Kortlandt is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and has received numerous awards, including the Spinoza Prize (1997).
