author
George Harley McKnight
1871–1951
A scholar of language and medieval literature, he wrote lively, approachable books that connect English words, old texts, and long-running traditions. His work ranges from philology and grammar to a well-known study of St. Nicholas and Christmas customs.
1 Audiobook
St. Nicholas His Legend and His Rôle in the Christmas Celebration and Other Popular Customs
by George Harley McKnight
About the author
George Harley McKnight was an American scholar and author best known for writing about the English language and older English literature. Sources found in this search confirm works including English Words and Their Background, The Evolution of the English Language, A Grammar of Living English, and St. Nicholas: His Legend and His Rôle in the Christmas Celebration and Other Popular Customs.
His bibliography shows a strong interest in philology, language history, and Middle English texts. A Google Books record for The Primitive Teutonic Order of Words identifies it as a Ph.D. thesis connected with Cornell University, suggesting his academic work grew out of serious linguistic study.
Because reliable biographical details beyond his dates are sparse in the sources reviewed here, it seems safest to remember him mainly through his books: clear, curious studies that helped readers explore where English came from and how old stories and traditions survived into modern life.