Robert Blust is a prominent linguist in several areas, including historical linguistics, lexicography and ethnology. Professor and Chair of the Department of Linguistics at University of Hawaii, Blust is best known for his work on Austronesian languages, including a large Austronesian comparative dictionary (Blust 1995c) and a Thao-English dictionary (Blust 2003b). Blust has done fieldwork on 97 Austronesian languages spoken in locations such as Sarawak, Papua New Guinea, and Taiwan—the latter encompassing Formosan languages such as Thao, Kavalan, Pazeh, Amis, Paiwan and Saisiyat.

Selected Publications

• Blust, Robert. 1977. The Proto-Austronesian pronouns and Austronesian subgrouping: a preliminary report. University of Hawai?i Working Papers in Linguistics 9.2:1-15.
• Blust, Robert. 1988. Austronesian Root Theory: An Essay on the Limits of Morphology. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
• Blust, Robert. 1993. *S metathesis and the Formosan/Malayo-Polynesian language boundary. In Oyvind Dahl, ed., Language --- a doorway between human cultures: tributes to Dr. Otto Chr. Dahl on his ninetieth birthday, 178-183. Oslo, Novus.
• Blust, Robert. 1995a. The position of the Formosan languages: method and theory in Austronesian comparative linguistics. In Paul Jen-kuei Li et al., eds., Austronesian Studies Relating to Taiwan: 585-650. Symposium Series of the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica, No. 3. Taipei: Academia Sinica.
• Blust, Robert. 1995b. Sibilant assimilation in Formosan languages and the Proto-Austronesian word for ?nine?: a discourse on method. Oceanic Linguistics 34:443-453.
• Blust, Robert. 1995c. Austronesian Comparative Dictionary (ACD). Honolulu: University of Hawai?i at M?noa.
• Blust, Robert. 1996. Some remarks on the linguistic position of Thao. Oceanic Linguistics 35:272-294.
• Blust, Robert. 1999a. A note on covert structure: Ca- reduplication in Amis. (Squib) Oceanic Linguistics 38.1:168-174.
• Blust, Robert. 1999b. Pazeh phonology and morphology. Oceanic Linguistics 38.2:321-365.
• Blust, Robert. 1999c. Subgrouping, circularity and extinction: some issues in Austronesian comparative linguistics. In Zeitoun, Elizabeth and Paul Jen-kuei Li, Selected Papers from the Eighth International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics, 31-94. Symposium Series of the Institute of Linguistics (Preparatory Office), Academia Sinica, No. 1: Taipei: Academia Sinica.
• Blust, Robert. 2003a. Three notes on early Austronesian morphology. Oceanic Linguistics, 42.2: 438-478.
• Blust, Robert. 2003b. Thao dictionary. Language and Linguistics Monograph Series, No. A5. Taipei: Institute of Linguistics (Preparatory Office), Academia Sinica.

References

• Zeitoun, Eliabeth (2007). Three Western scholars' contributions to Formosan linguistics. Paper presented at "The International Conference for the 100th anniversary of linguistics in Taiwan: In honor of the linguistics pioneer Professor Naoyosi Ogawa". 8-9 September 2007. National Taichung University, Taichung, Taiwan ROC.

Other Sources

• http://www.ling.hawaii.edu/faculty/blust/
• http://ling.nccu.edu.tw/2003/chinese/trachers/blust.htm