User:Pechmerle/Kennedy
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George A. Kennedy
[edit]George A. Kennedy (1901-1960) was a noted American Sinologist, and from 1938-1960 a professor of Chinese language at Yale University.[1] He made substantial contributions to the modern study of Classical Chinese and the literature written in it.[1] His scholarly publications include such notable works as [_____].
Early Life and Education
[edit]Kennedy was born on May 17, 1901, in China, to missionary parents. Their mission station was in Tangsi, not far from Hangzhou. Kennedy's birthplace became highly significant for his career as a linguist. He learned as a child to speak a sub-dialect of Wu, which is older than modern spoken Mandarin. When he reached high school age, he was sent to the American School in Shanghai. While there he learned the main Wu dialect as spoken in Shanghai. This early exposure to dialect variants helped him later focus on the complex sound and meaning changes occurring in Classical Chinese texts.[1]
After high school, Kennedy attended the College of Wooster in Ohio. He graduated in 1922, with honors in Greek and Latin. After undergraduate work, he undertook training for the missionary field at various theological seminaries. In this endeavor, he added Hebrew and some Arabic to his collection of language skills.[1] In 1926 he returned to China, and taught English and Chinese at various foreign-run schools. While doing so, he pursued his interest in the study of Chinese language and literature.
By 1932, however, Kennedy had become personally disillusioned with missionary work. Shifting course, he left China for Berlin, where he enrolled for advanced studies in the University of Berlin. There he specialized in Asian languages, and in 1934 was awarded government-standard interpreter's diplomas in Chinese and Japanese. He also studied "a little Mongol and Manchu on the side."[1] In 1937 he received a doctorate. His thesis was a study of the role of confession in traditional Chinese law.[2]