Blair A. Rudes

Blair A. Rudes (May 18, 1951, Gloversville, New York – March 16, 2008, Charlotte, North Carolina) was an American linguist known for his work on Native American languages.

Biography

Of part Irish^[1] and Abenaki^[2] descent, Rudes studied at Piseco Elementary School and Wells Central High School as a child, before going on to the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he obtained a doctorate in linguistics in 1976. He was an Associate Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.^[3][4] Rudes reconstructed the Virginia Algonquian language for use in the 2005 film The New World.^[5] Rudes died of a heart attack in 2008.^[6]

Selected bibliography

• Tuscarora-English / English-Tuscarora Dictionary, 1999
• Endangered Languages and Literacy: Proceedings of the Fourth FEl Conference, Nicholas Ostler (editor), Blair A. Rudes (editor), Foundation for Endangered Languages, 2000

References

1. The Algonquian Language Reborn: An Interview with Blair Rudes, Coastal Carolina Indian Center.
2. Giving Voice to Powhatan's People: The Creation of Virginia Algonquian Dialog for "The New World", Blair A. Rudes.
3. Alumni Profile - Blair Rudes, UB Today, accessed November 21, 2013.
4. The Blair A. Rudes Indigenous Language & History Collection, Coastal Carolina Indian Center, accessed November 21, 2013.
5. A Dead Indian Language Is Brought Back to Life, Washington Post, David A. Fahrenthold, December 12, 2006.
6. Memorial: Remembering Our Friend, Blair A. Rudes – Linguistics Advisor to CCIC, 28 March 2008, accessed November 21, 2013.