Academician Mammadagha Shiraliyev
Mammadagha Shiraliyev was born on September 19, 1909 in Shamakhi. He was the founder of the school of Azerbaijani dialectology.
Mammadagha Shiraliyev graduated from secondary school in Baku in 1927, enrolled in the linguistics department of the Oriental Faculty of Azerbaijan State University (now BSU), and completed his higher education in 1931. After working for two years as a language and literature teacher in the Agdam district, in 1933 he enrolled in the postgraduate programme at the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical Institute (now Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University) specialising in Azerbaijani linguistics. After completing his postgraduate studies, he taught Azerbaijani language at the same institute.
He devoted more than 30 years of his life to lecturing on linguistics at various universities in our republic. From 1933 to 1941, he worked as a lecturer, deputy dean and dean of the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical Institute (now the Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University). From 1941 to 1945 and from 1949 to 1960, he was head of the Department of Azerbaijani Linguistics at Azerbaijan State University, dean of the Faculty of Philology, and vice-rector of the university. In 1949, he became director of the Institute of Language and Literature of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences.
Although Mammadagha Shiraliyev held high positions in higher education institutions, his activities after the 1950s (1950–1991) were devoted to the development and enrichment of Azerbaijani linguistic science. In 1949, Mammadagha Shiraliyev was elected a corresponding member of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences, and in 1962, a full member. In 1960, he was awarded the title of Honoured Scientist of Azerbaijan, and in 1972, he received the State Prize for his monograph ‘Fundamentals of Azerbaijani Dialectology.’ The outstanding scientist was also awarded the medals ‘For the Defence of the Caucasus’ and ‘For Labour Valour,’ as well as the orders ‘Red Banner of Labour’ and ‘Badge of Honour.’
A prominent scientist is the author of over 100 scientific papers, including the monographs “Fundamentals of Azerbaijani dialectology”, “Baku dialect”, as well as the author of the textbook for secondary schools “Grammar of the Azerbaijani language”, prepared together with M.Huseynzade.
M.Shiraliyev was the founder of the geography of linguistics in the Azerbaijan philological science. A dialectological atlas of the Azerbaijani language was compiled and published under his leadership.
The fundamental work of a prominent scientist "Fundamentals of Azerbaijani dialectology" was awarded the State Prize of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Academician Mammadagha Shiraliyev died on April 19, 1991 in Baku.
Recommended literature:
- Dil mədəniyyəti /red. M. Ş. Şirəliyev [və b.] ; Azərb. SSR Elmlər Akademiyası, Nəsimi ad. Dilçilik İn-tu. - Bakı: Elm, 1972. - 60 s.
- Şirəliyev, Məmmədağa Şirəli oğlu. Azərbaycan dili orfoepiyasının əsasları /M. Ş. Şirəliyev ; red. Ə. Əfəndiyev. - Bakı: Azərnəşr, 1970. - 26 s.
- Ширалиев, Мамедага Ширали оглы. Вопросы азербайджанского языка /М. Ш. Ширалиев; науч. ред. А. М. Курбанов ; ред. Н. Г. Сухомяс. - Баку: б.и., 1989. - 194 с.