Murray, ALEXANDER

Murray, ALEXANDER, philologist, was born the son of a shepherd in the parish of Minniggaff, Kirkeudbright, 22d October 1775, and had hardly any education save what his father could impart, till 1788, when he was at school for a short time. Yet by diligent and omnivorous reading of all such books as fell in his way or could be borrowed, he, when engaged as a shepherd, acquired, besides a scholarly knowledge of English literature, a mastery of the classics, all the principal European tongues, and Hebrew. The fame of the learned shepherd led to an invitation to Edinburgh, where he obtained a bursary, gave private lessons, and continued his linguistic labours, which were extended to oriental tongues and ancient and modern Abyssinian. In 1806 he became minister of Urr, in 1812 professor of Oriental Languages in Edinburgh University; but he died 15th April 1813. His History of the European Languages was published in 1823.