G. Venkatasubbaiah

Infobox Writer
name = G. Venkatasubbaiah


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caption = Prof. Venkatasubbaiah
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birthdate = birth date and age|1913|08|23
birthplace = Mysore
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occupation = Writer, Researcher, Teacher
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period = 20th Century
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subject = Lexicography
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Prof. G. Venkatasubbaiah ( _kn. ಪ್ರೊ ಜಿ.ವೆಂಕಟಸುಬ್ಬಯ್ಯ) is a renowned Kannada lexicographer, who has compiled over 10 dictionaries, edited over 25 books and published several papers. He is regarded as the father of the modern Kannada dictionary.cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/20/stories/2005062016900300.htm|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2005-06-20|title= G. Venkatasubbaiah given Masti Award|accessdate=2007-10-26]

Early life and education

Venkatasubbaiah was born on August 23, 1913.cite web|url=http://www.hinduonnet.com/2003/01/20/stories/2003012003330400.htm|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2003-01-20|title= Venkatasubbaiah deserves Jnanpith: Haranahalli|accessdate=2007-10-26] He was born and brought up in Mysore. He is the son of renowned Kannada and Sanskrit scholar Ganjam Thimmanniah. He secured his Masters of Arts degree from the Maharaja college in Mysore in the year 1932, ranking first in the university. He took up the teaching profession and taught Kannada language at the Maharaja's College in Mysore and the Vijaya college in Bangalore.

Literary contributions

Venkatasubbaiah has compiled more than 10 dictionaries, including an eight-volume Kannada-Kannada Nighantu (Dictionary). This dictionary has also been translated to the Braille language by the Braille Transcription Centre of the Canara Bank Relief and Welfare Society.cite web|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/mar302007/state13132007330.asp|work=Online Edition of The Deccan Herald, dated 2007-03-30|title=Braille version of dictionary|accessdate=2007-10-27] He has been writing the popular column, "Igo Kannada" for over a decade in the major Kannada daily, "Prajavani". The articles published in "Igo Kannada" have been compiled into a book in two volumes. He has also authored a dictionary entitled "Klishtapada Kosha" (a dictionary of complex Kannada words) which was released to mark the Suvarna Karnataka (Silver Jubilee of the formation of Karnataka).cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2007/05/02/stories/2007050204290400.htm|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2007-05-02|title=Expert for permanent lexicography section|author=K. N. Venkatasubba Rao|accessdate=2007-10-27] It is the first of its kind in Kannada language which covers different language specifications such as derivation, punctuation, phoneme and morphological patterns of Kannada language as the language has evolved over the centuries.

He has served as the vice president of the Lexicographical Association of India for 17 years. In 1998, he was an appointed as an advisor to the multilingual dictionary project of the Institute of Asian Studies, Chennai, which comprises Japanese, Kannada, English and Tamil. He was also appointed as a consultative committee member in the Telugu lexicon project initiated by the Telugu Academy of the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Awards and recognitions

Venkatasubbaiah has been conferred numerous awards, important among which are the Kannada Sahitya Academy award, the Karnataka Rajyotsava award and the Nadoja award, which is honorary degree equivalent to the D.Litt degree. He has also been awarded the Masti Award by the Government of Karnataka. He was President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat from 1964-69. He has also chaired the annual Kannada literary festival, "Alvas Nudisiri" in 2007.cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/12/16/stories/2005121623010100.htm|title= Masti Award|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2005-04-26|accessdate=2007-10-27] cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/26/stories/2005042607580400.htm|title= Nadoja Award|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2005-04-26|accessdate=2007-10-27] He was also congratulated at the first international lexicographers meeting held in Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu.cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/25/stories/2004022501540500.htm|title= Portraying the life of a lexicographer|author=K. N. Venkatasubba Rao|work=Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 2004-02-25|accessdate=2007-10-26]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.baraha.com/kannada/index.php Online version of the Kannada-English Dictionary compiled by G Venkatasubbaiah]