Renowned linguist and former Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad Central University, Prof. Bhadriraju Krishnamurti (84), passed away after a brief illness in a private hospital here in the early hours of Saturday. He is survived by wife, three sons and a daughter.
Born on June 19, 1928 at Ongole, he exhibited his intellectual prowess at an early age with his first composition of poems coming out when he was just 13 years. The transformation of a poet in Bhadriraju Krishnamurti into a linguist became evident under the tutelage of G.J. Somayaji, Head of the Department of Telugu in Andhra University, from where he passed BA (Honours) as university topper in 1948. He started working on Telugu verbal roots, analysing and comparing them with cognates from other Dravidian languages as lecturer in Andhra University. A Fulbright and Smith-Mundt Fellowship in 1953 paved way for him to pursue masters degree in linguistics at University of Pennsylvania during 1954-55.
Later, under a fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation, he went to University of California, where he worked under the guidance of Prof. M.B. Emeneau on his seminal work on Telugu Verbal Bases . He submitted his thesis at University of Pennsylvania and was awarded Ph.D.
After his return to India in October 1956, he published his most influential paper in comparative Dravidian languages – i/e and u/o alternation in South Dravidian in Language, the journal of Linguistic Society of America. He then worked in Andhra, Sri Venkateswara and Osmania Universities. He was the V-C of HCU from 1986 to 1993. His demise marks the end of an era in Indian linguistics and Dravidian studies. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, in a message, expressed grief over the demise of. Bhadriraju Krishnamurti and conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved family. University of Hyderabad also mourned his demise.
