LISKER, Leigh. Philadelphia, Pa. 7.12.1918 — Ibid. 24.3.2006. U.S. Indologist (Dravidian Linguist). Professor in Philadelphia. Studies at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia: B.A. 1941 in German, M.A. 1946 and Ph.D. 1949 in Linguistics. Taught at University of Pennsylvania: 1948-51 Instructor, 1951-60 Assistant Professor, 1960-64 Associate Professor and from 1964 Professor of Linguistics and Dravidian Linguistics. In 1976-80 Chairman of Department. Emeritus 1989. Important also as a phonetician. Married 1947 Sara Starekow, one son and two daughters.
Publications: Introduction to Spoken Telugu. 345 p. N.Y. 1963.
– Students’ manual of modern formal Tamil. Philadelphia 1966.
– With A. S. Abramson: “Distinctive Features and Laryngeal Control”, Language 47, 1971, 767-785.
– Spoken Telugu. 1976, new ed. 27+345 p. Ithaca 1991.
– Other articles and reviews, also on general linguistics and phonetics.
Sources: Dir. of Am. Sch. 6th ed. 3, 1974 & 8th ed. 3, 1982; obituary in almanac.upenn.edu with photo; Wikipedia.