Kenneth Lee Pike was born in Woodstock, Connecticut on June 9, 1912 as the seventh of eight children, to his mother and his father Ernest R. Pike.
When Kenneth was sixteen years old, his father took to be very ill. With a promise to become a Missionary if his father survived, Kenneth prayed for his father to live. His father soon recovered and in 1929, Pike left for Gordon College to keep his promise. After graduating in 1933, he applied to the Missionary in China, but was dismissed.
Later, Kenneth became interested in linguistics: the study of language. Kenneth is now internationally recognized for his contributions in the study of linguistics and development. Pike's studies have included the aboriginal languages of Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, New Guinea, Java, Ghana, Nigeria, Australia, Nepal, and the Philippines.
Pike was also a prolific writer, publishing 20 books and 200 articles. He was a Christian Philosopher and in 1935 he joined the Wycliffe Bible Translators; and was also a Poet.
Along with his wife, Evelyn, Kenneth Pike invented Tagmemics: a theory of discourse founded upon certain principals about human language and behavior. It is further described in his "Language in Relation to A Unified Theory of the Structure of Human Behavior" publication. It is a unit most suitable in describing languages (such as the Central and South American languages to which it has more commonly been applied). Later, Pike applied Tagmemics to the matrix of field theory and English rhetoric.
In addition to this work, Pike has done research in Phonology: the sound system of a language and is the author of Intonation of American English, Co-Editor of Tone Systems of Tibeto-Burman Languages of Nepal, As well as Co-Author of Grammatical Analysis. Together, with his wife Evelyn, he worked in Mexico, analyzing the language and developing an alphabet for the Mixtec people; who now would say, "now we are people!" Combating the former prejudice that they weren't complete before due to no real alphabet or lingual structure; no longer an issue thanks to the Pikes. From 1955 to 1977 Pike was Professor of Linguistics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor where he received his Ph.D. in 1942.
His other great achievements include: Professor of Linguistics, Chairman of the Department of Linguistics, the Director of the English Language Institute, and a Nominee (for the 15th consecutive year) for the Nobel Peace Prize!
Dr. Kenneth Pike died December 31, 2000.
Tagmemic Discourse Theory, (March, 2006)
Wycliffe Bible Translators, http://www.wycliffe.org/media/press/kpike.htm, (March, 2006)
Pike's Timeline: http://www.sil.org/klp/klp-chronology.htm, (March, 2006)
McQuown, Norman A. American Anthropologist: "To Commemorate the 60th Birthday of Kenneth Pike," 1974
Written By: Holly Schwichtenberg, 2006