Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Vaughan, Henry

(Encyclopedia)Vaughan, Henry vôn [key], 1622–95, one of the English metaphysical poets. Born in Breconshire, Wales, he signed himself Silurist, after the ancient inhabitants of that region. After leaving Oxford,...

Grimm's law

(Encyclopedia)Grimm's law, principle of relationships in Indo-European languages, first formulated by Jakob Grimm in 1822 and a continuing subject of interest and investigation to 20th-century linguists. It shows t...

Hilliard, Henry Washington

(Encyclopedia)Hilliard, Henry Washington hĭlˈyərd [key], 1808–92, American statesman and diplomat, b. Fayetteville, N.C. After teaching English literature (1831–34) at the Univ. of Alabama, he began to pract...

Percy, Sir Henry

(Encyclopedia)Percy, Sir Henry, 1366–1403, English nobleman, called Hotspur or Henry Hotspur; son of Henry Percy, 1st earl of Northumberland. In 1388 he participated in the famous battle of Otterburn, or Chevy Ch...

Adams, Henry

(Encyclopedia)Adams, Henry, 1838–1918, American writer and historian, b. Boston; son of Charles Francis Adams (1807–86). He was secretary (1861–68) to his father, then U.S. minister to Great Britain. Upon his...

Grattan, Henry

(Encyclopedia)Grattan, Henry grătˈən [key], 1746–1820, Irish statesman. A lawyer, he entered (1775) the Irish Parliament and soon became known as a brilliant orator. Aided by Britain's preoccupation with the A...

Robinson, Henry Crabb

(Encyclopedia)Robinson, Henry Crabb, 1775–1867, English diarist, journalist, and lawyer. He practiced law occasionally and served (1808–9) as war correspondent for the London Times. His voluminous correspondenc...

Bracton, Henry de

(Encyclopedia)Bracton, Henry de, d. 1268, English writer on law. He was the author of De legibus et consuetudinibus Angliae [on the laws and customs of England], a broad, philosophic treatise that is often called t...

Pearse, Patrick Henry

(Encyclopedia)Pearse, Patrick Henry pērs [key], 1879–1916, Irish educator and patriot. He was educated for the law but early in his career made himself part of the Gaelic movement in Ireland. Pearse was active i...

Stiegel, Henry William

(Encyclopedia)Stiegel, Henry William stēˈgəl [key], 1729–85, American iron and glass manufacturer, b. Germany. He emigrated to America, arriving in Philadelphia (1750). In 1758 he purchased his father-in-law's...

Browse by Subject