Joseph Wright (31 October 1855 – 27 February 1930) an English Germanic philologist. He served as Professor of Comparative Philology at the University of Oxford, where he was one of J.R.R. Tolkien's tutors.
It was during Tolkien's years as a schoolboy that he first became acquainted with Wright's works, specifically his Primer of the Gothic Language.[1] This text provided insight into Tolkien's early studies of Germanic languages.
In a letter dated 26 January 1925, Tolkien expressed gratitude to Wright on the eve of his retirement, saying, "It was your works that came into my hands by chance as a schoolboy, that first revealed to me the philology I love".[2] Tolkien later said of Wright that he "proved a good friend and adviser".[3]
Wright's impact on Tolkien was not limited to German, however, for he learned much of Greek, Latin, and Welsh from him. The two continued to stay close friends and Tolkien remembered frequently going over to Wright's house for tea and discussion.[4]
In 1925 Wright wrote a letter of recommendation for Tolkien's application at Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon:
I have known Professor Tolkien intimately since the beginning of his undergraduate days at Oxford, and have greatly admired his keen interest in the philological study of Latin, Greek, and more especially the Germanic Languages. He regularly attended my classes and lectures for two years on Comparative Philology in general, and on Latin, Greek, and Gothic, and I formed a high opinion of his attainments in these subjects...
Tolkien would go on to be an executor of Wright's will.[5]
In other media
In 2019's Tolkien, a biographical drama film about J.R.R. Tolkien, Wright was played by actor Derek Jacobi.
External links
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 272, (dated 20 July 1965)
- ↑ Elizabeth Mary Wright, The Life Of Joseph Wright Vol. 2, p. 651
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 308, (dated 2 January 1969)
- ↑ Humphrey Carpenter, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, Part Two, Chapter IV: "T.C., B.S., ETC."
- ↑ . "Tolkien and Wright". blueplaque-tolkien-in-leeds.blogspot.com. Retrieved 9 November 2024