HALL, Robert Anderson, Jr. (born William Durham Hall). Raleigh, NC 4.4.1911 — Ithaca, NY 2.12.1997. U.S. Linguist. Son of R.A.H. Senior and Lolabel House. In 1919 the family moved to New York and he went to school in Brooklyn. Studies at Princeton (B.A. 1931) and Chicago (M.A. 1935). D.Litt. 1934 Rome. Taught at University of Puerto Rico, at Princeton and Brown Universities, then from 1946 Professor of Linguistics at Cornell University, retired 1976. Married 1936 Frances L. Adkins (d. 1975), then Alice M. Colby-Hall, children.

Hall was a generative linguist in Chomskyan tradition. He was an early promoter of creole language studies. He defended the so-called Kensington rune-stone of Minnesota as authentic.

Publications: “The Etymology of OP vardanam”, Language 12, 1936, 297-299.

– Much on general linguistics and creole languages, also on Romance, etc. linguistics..

Sources: *F. Nuessel, Italica 75, 1998, 284-286; Guide to R.A.H.Jr. Papers in lib.uchicago.edu; Wikipedia with photo.