Skeat, Walter W. (Walter William), 1835-1912

Walter William Skeat was born in London and educated at Cambridge, becoming an ordained minister in 1860. He took a position as mathematics lecturer at Cambridge, but continued to develop his interest in language and literature, translating, editing, and writing scholarly works. This led to his role as the first professor of Anglo-Saxon at Cambridge, where he instituted a comprehensive course of study in English language and literature. He created a historic edition of Chaucer's works, made lesser-known works available through translations, and was an influential figure in the scholarly study of English. As a philologist, his key work was An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, still a valuable resource for scholars.

From the description of W.W. Skeat autographed page of notes, circa 1900? (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 71790527