author

Alexander Stewart

1764–1821

A Scottish minister and noted Gaelic scholar, he is best remembered for bringing learning and clarity to the study of Scottish Gaelic. His work on Gaelic grammar helped shape how the language was taught long after his death.

1 Audiobook

Elements of Gaelic Grammar

Elements of Gaelic Grammar

by Alexander Stewart

About the author

Born in 1764, he was a Presbyterian minister in Scotland and later served in Moulin, Dingwall, and Canongate in Edinburgh. Archival records describe him as both a minister and a Gaelic scholar, and a posthumous memoir published in 1822 reflects the regard in which he was held.

He is especially associated with Elements of Gaelic Grammar, a work important enough to be revised and republished later as the basis for newer editions. That lasting afterlife suggests how influential his scholarship was for readers trying to understand and preserve Scottish Gaelic.

He died in 1821. He was also the father of Alexander Stewart of Cromarty, another Scottish minister, which places him within a family closely tied to the church and to Highland intellectual life.