Gyula Farkas (linguist)

Gyula Farkas (born January 16, 1894, Losonc, Austria-Hungary [now Lučenec, Slovakia] – died January 15, 1958, Budapest, Hungary) was a Hungarian linguist, primarily known for his contributions to Finno-Ugric linguistics, particularly the study of the Hungarian language and its relationship to other Uralic languages.

Farkas received his doctorate from the University of Budapest. His academic career was largely dedicated to the research and teaching of Hungarian linguistics, focusing on historical grammar, etymology, and the reconstruction of Proto-Uralic and Proto-Finno-Ugric. He held professorships at various institutions, including the University of Szeged.

His significant works include comprehensive studies on Hungarian word formation, phonology, and the development of the Hungarian language over time. He contributed extensively to dictionaries and grammatical descriptions of Hungarian, and his research aided in understanding the complex historical relationships between Hungarian and other languages in the Uralic family. He also published extensively on the history of linguistic science in Hungary.

Farkas played a key role in promoting the study of Finno-Ugric languages in Hungary and internationally. He mentored numerous students who went on to become prominent linguists. His work continues to be influential in the field of Hungarian and Finno-Ugric linguistics.