معرفی
Willem Leo Wetzels is a distinguished linguist serving as a full-time Professor of Linguistics at Universidade Federal do Ceará (Brazil) and Professor Emeritus at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands). His roles include part-time researcher at Vrije Universiteit and participation in international research projects. He holds a PhD in Linguistics (1981, Radboud University Nijmegen) and a Doctor Honoris Causa from PUCRS (2014).
Research focuses on theoretical linguistics, phonology, and morphology of Indigenous South American languages, Brazilian Portuguese, and Romance languages. Key contributions include studies on nasal harmony, polysynthesis in Lakondê, and stress systems. He co-founded the journal Probus (1989) and edited major works like The Handbook of Portuguese Linguistics (2016). His work bridges theoretical linguistics with fieldwork in endangered languages.
- Grants: Dutch Foundation for Tropical Research (WOTRO) grant for Brazilian Portuguese studies (1990)
- Projects: Lévi-Strauss field notes digitization (EHESS, Paris, 2019–2021)
- Teaching: Supervised numerous PhD students from South America
- Awards: Honorary doctorate from PUCRS (2014)
Labs/Teams: Active in linguistic research networks across Brazil and Europe, collaborating with institutions like CNRS Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris) and Museu Nacional (Rio de Janeiro).
