author
C. H. (Charles Hall) Grandgent
1862–1939
A leading American scholar of Romance languages, he spent decades at Harvard and became especially known for his work on Vulgar Latin and Dante. His books helped bring the history and sound of Italian and related languages to a wider audience of students and readers.
1 Audiobook
An Outline of the Phonology and Morphology of Old Provençal
by C. H. (Charles Hall) Grandgent
About the author
Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1862, Charles Hall Grandgent studied at Harvard and later became one of the university's best-known teachers of Romance philology. After early work as a schoolteacher and further study in Europe, he joined Harvard's faculty and served for many years as Professor of Romanistics.
Grandgent was widely respected as an authority on Vulgar Latin, the development of Italian, and the language and works of Dante. He wrote influential scholarly books, including studies of Italian phonology and morphology, and he also produced work aimed at students learning Italian.
He remained an important figure in American language scholarship well into the early 20th century. Grandgent died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1939, leaving behind a body of work that connected careful linguistic study with a deep interest in literature.