معرفی
Professor Richard Dance serves as Professor of Early English in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic (ASNC) at the University of Cambridge's Faculty of English, and is a Fellow of St Catharine's College where he holds positions as Director of Studies in ASNC, Praelector, and Clerk to the Governors of the Skerne Exhibition Foundation. He joined the university in 1997 after completing his studies at Oxford and has established himself as Cambridge's principal teacher of Old English, lecturing and supervising extensively in Old English language and literature and Germanic Philology for the ASNC Tripos.
His research focuses on Old and Middle English language and literature with particular emphasis on Germanic Philology, English etymology, and the profound influence of Old Norse on early English vocabulary and poetic style. His work spans critical editions of texts like 'Ancrene Wisse' and 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight', extensive etymological surveys of Scandinavian loanwords, and investigations into medieval multilingualism. His publications reveal consistent engagement with historical semantics, dialectology, and the linguistic interface between Norse and English during critical transition periods.
Dance's scholarly impact is evidenced by major awards including the British Academy's 2021 Sir Israel Gollancz Prize for 'The Gersum Project' and the University of Cambridge Pilkington Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2023). His editorial roles include Secretary of the Early English Text Society, Council membership in The Philological Society, and etymological consultancy for the Oxford English Dictionary. As Principal Investigator for The Gersum Project (2016-2020), he led significant research into Scandinavian influence on English vocabulary, securing substantial academic recognition.
- British Academy's 2021 Sir Israel Gollancz Prize
- University of Cambridge Pilkington Prize for Excellence in Teaching (2023)
- Editorial Secretary, Early English Text Society
- Consultant for Oxford English Dictionary (etymology)
- International Advisory Committee member, Dictionary of Old English
Dance maintains active leadership in academic communities through roles on the British Academy/Royal Historical Society Joint Committee on Anglo-Saxon Charters and as Series Editor for Exeter Medieval Texts and Studies (2008-24). His supervisory work encompasses graduate students in Old English language and literature, while his departmental responsibilities include Director of Studies for multiple Cambridge colleges. Current projects indicate ongoing research into medieval multilingualism, with several forthcoming publications addressing etymological methodology and lexical evolution in the medieval period.
