Congratulations to Professor Nathan Hill, Professor of Asian Historical Linguistics, in the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communications Sciences, on his Inaugural Lecture to a large audience in the Robert Emmet Theatre, Trinity College Dublin.
On 11 February 2026, Professor Nathan Hill, Professor of Asian Historical Linguistics and Head of the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences, delivered his Inaugural Lecture at Trinity College Dublin.
Titled “Chinese Historical Phonology with Marxist Characteristics”, the lecture used familiar examples from English to show how historical linguists reconstruct earlier sound systems, before turning to debates in Old Chinese reconstruction.
It set questions of evidence and method in a wider philosophy-of-science frame, asking what counts as a good explanation, how much weight to give rare observations, and what it would mean for a reconstruction to make predictions. The talk also reflected on how a dialectical approach can clarify what is at stake when competing analyses appear to fit much of the same data.
The lecture was followed by a reception in the Senior Common Room, where Professor Hill celebrated the occasion with colleagues, friends and family.
Please click here to visit the Faculty of AHSS Inaugural Lectures webpage to view the brochure, photos and full lecture video of Professor Hill’s lecture.
Image from left to right: Provost of Trinity College Dublin, Dr Linda Doyle, Professor Nathan Hill, Professor of Asian Historical Linguistics, and Head of School of Linguistic, Speech and Communications Sciences, and Professor Carmel O’Sullivan, Dean of Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.