author
Otto Jespersen
1860–1943
A pioneering Danish linguist, he changed how people study and teach English and brought fresh energy to the study of sound, grammar, and language change. He is also remembered for creating Novial, an international auxiliary language shaped by his lifelong interest in clear communication.
3 Audiobooks
Language: Its Nature, Development and Origin
by Otto Jespersen
International Language and Science Considerations on the Introduction of an International Language into Science
by Leopold Pfaundler von Hadermur, Louis Couturat, Otto Jespersen, Richard Lorenz, Wilhelm Ostwald
How to teach a foreign language
by Otto Jespersen
About the author
Born in Randers, Denmark, in 1860, Otto Jespersen became one of the most influential language scholars of his time. Reliable reference sources describe him as a Danish linguist especially known for his work on English grammar, phonetics, and language teaching, and as a major authority on the English language.
His work helped modernize language study in Europe. He wrote widely on grammar and the history of English, and he was closely associated with reforms in foreign-language teaching that emphasized speech and practical use. Britannica also credits him with important contributions to linguistic theory and with creating Novial, an international language.
Jespersen died in 1943, but his books and ideas have had a long afterlife, especially for readers interested in how English works in real use rather than as a set of rigid rules. He remains a rewarding author for anyone curious about language as a living, changing human tool.