KERNS, James Alexander. Mason, Ingham County, Mich. 17.1.1894 — Richmond, NY ?.10.1975. U.S. IE Scholar. Son of James Kerns (1845–1920, from Canada) and Ida Marie 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. Janua Linguarum. 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 with tree photos.
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