KERNS, James Alexander. Mason, Ingham County, Mich. 17.1.1894 — Richmond, NY ?.10.1975. U.S. IE Scholar. Son of James Kerns and Ida M. Barnes. After Mason High School studied at Michigan State Normal College (1913) and University of Michigan (A.B. 1916, A.M. 1917). In 1921-29 Instructor at Whitman College, 1929-37 Member of Faculty at New York University, 1935 Ph.D. there. In 1937-45 Assistant Professor of Classics at Washington Square College of New York University, in 1945-70 Associate Professor ibid. In 1970 emeritus. Married 1919 Ruth Rardel Avery (1894–1986), three sons and one daughter.
Publications: “Gray’s Interpretation of the IE Personal Endings”, Language 7, 1931, 42-45; “The Imperfect in Armenian and Irish”, Language 15, 1939, 20-33; other articles, also wrote on Germanic.
– With B. Schwartz: “The Laryngeal Hypothesis and Indo-Hittite, Indo-European Vocalism”, JAOS 60, 1940, 181-192; “Multiple Stem Conjugation: An Indo-Hittite Isogloss?”, Language 22, 1946, 57-67; “Chronology of Athematics and Thematics in Proto-Indo-European”, Language 44, 1968, 717-71..
– With B. Schwartz: A Sketch of the Indo-European Verb. 8+83 p. Ld. 1972.
Sources: C.J. Cowley, Ling. Soc. Am. Bulletin 77, 1978, 11; *Studies in honour of J.A.K. the Hague 1970; *Bono homini donum. Essays in Historical Linguistics in Memory of J.A.K. Amsterdam Studies 4:16. Amst. 1981; Dir. Am. Sch. 1st ed. 1942; 6th ed. 3, 1974; family details and photo in findagrave.com; wikitree.com with tree photos.
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