George Muirhead (linguist)

Muirhead was born at Dunipace. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh (M.A. 1742), he was ordained as a Minister of the Kirk in 1746. He was professor of oriental languages at the University of Glasgow (1753-4), until his appointment as Chair of Humanity in 1754. Muirhead was elected Clerk of Senate in 1769.^[1]

Muirhead died on 31 August 1773. He was "an enthusiastic and accomplished classical scholar", and with James Moor, professor of Greek, superintended the noble edition of Homer in 4 vols., printed by Robert and Andrew Foulis of Glasgow (the Iliad in 1756, the Odyssey, with the Hymns and Fragments, in 1758). ^[2]

The Muirhead Prizes are awarded in his memory.

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Sturt, Beatrix Marion (1901). "Muirhead, George". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography (1st supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co.