George Dunbar (classical scholar)

George Dunbar (1774–1851), Scottish classical scholar and lexicographer.

Biography

George Dunbar was born in 1774 at Coldingham in Berwickshire. In early life he followed the humble profession of gardening, but, having been permanently injured by an accident, devoted himself to the study of the classics.

When about thirty years of age, he settled in Edinburgh, where he obtained a tutorship in the family of Lord Provost Fettes. In 1807, Dunbar succeeded Andrew Daizel as professor of Greek in the university. Dunbar held his appointment until his death on 6 December 1851.^[1]

Assessment

Although a man of great energy and industry, Dunbar did not produce anything of permanent value. He deserves mention, however, for his Greek-English and English-Greek lexicon (1840), on the compilation of which he spent eight years. Although now superseded, it was the best work of its kind that had appeared in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.^[1]

References

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Dunbar, George". Encyclopædia Britannica. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 668.  Endnote:
  • Caledonian Mercury (8 December 1851).

External links