William Dwight Whitney

William D. Whitney
Portrait of Whitney
Born
William Dwight Whitney

(1827-02-09)February 9, 1827
DiedJune 7, 1894(1894-06-07) (aged 67)
EducationWilliams College
University of Berlin
University of Tübingen
University of Breslau
Occupation(s)Linguist, philologist
EmployerYale University
SpouseElizabeth Wooster Baldwin
Children
  • Edwin Baldwin
  • Williston Clapp
  • Marian Parker
  • Roger Sherman Baldwin
  • Emily Henrietta
  • Margaret Dwight
RelativesWhitney family
Signature

William Dwight Whitney (February 9, 1827  June 7, 1894) was an American linguist, philologist, and lexicographer known for his work on Sanskrit grammar and Vedic philology as well as his influential view of language as a social institution. He was the first president of the American Philological Association and editor-in-chief of The Century Dictionary.