Norbert Cyffer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Norbert Cyffer | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 May 1943 |
| Died | 12 March 2025 (aged 81) |
| Occupation | Linguist |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Hamburg |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | University of Vienna |
| Main interests | Saharan languages |
Norbert Cyffer (16 May 1943 – 12 March 2025) was a German-Austrian linguist and professor emeritus of African Studies at the University of Vienna.[1][2] Cyffer was primarily interested in African languages and linguistics, particularly the Saharan languages of the Sahelian region. His research areas include morphology, syntax, language contact, sociolinguistics, typology, and applied linguistics.
Cyffer studied from 1965 to 1973 at the University of Hamburg, where he focused on African studies, general linguistics, and ethnology. Over the course of two years, he performed two field trips in northeastern Nigeria to collect data for his dissertation.[3] In 1974, he obtained his doctorate upon completing his dissertation on Kanuri syntax.[4]
Cyffer died on 12 March 2025, at the age of 81.[5]
Career
From 1974 to 1981, Cyffer taught and performed research at Ahmadu Bello University (Zaria and Kano) and the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria.[3]
After teaching and research in Nigeria, he worked as a professor at the University of Mainz in 1982.[6] In 1994, he was appointed full professor at the University of Vienna, where he worked until retiring in 2011.[7] Cyffer has been President of the Austrian-Nigerian Friendship Society since 2012.[8]
Cyffer was a visiting professor at the University of Nice, University of Prague, and University of Maiduguri over several decades.
