HART, Gillian (Jill) R. Eastbourne, Sussex 11.8.1934 — 8.2.2004. British Indo-European Linguist. Daughter of farmer Alexander and Catherine Hart. After school in Reading briefly studies at local university, then from 1954 at Oxford (mainly Classics, also Sanskrit under Burrow). M.A. B.phil. In 1960-69 Lecturer in Classics at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and 1969-93 at Durham University, then retired. She was conscientious teacher and taught alson classical literature, but all vacations and sabbaticals she spent in Oxford concentrating on research. In retirement she suffered of ill-health and deteriorating eyesight, but nevertheless also taught Hittite.
Beside IE she was mainly interested in Anatolian and Mycenaean. Rejecting the Indo-Hittite theory she nevertheless emphasized the importance of Hittite evidence for Proto-IE reconstruction.
Publications: Many articles, i. al. “Anatolian evidence and the origins of the Indo-European mediopassive”, BSOAS 51, 1988, 69-95; “‘Class I present’, subjunctive and middle voice in Indo-European”, BSOAS 53, 1990, 446-468.
– Obiturary of T. Burrow, BSOAS 50, 1987, 347-257.
Sources: Brief obituary in university home page; Titus; E. Tucker, JRAS 39, 2006, 83-88 with bibliography.
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