imported>Jim Dixon 55104: Updated short description

2025-07-20T00:42:00Z

Updated short description

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	{{short description\|~~19th-century~~ English ~~classicist~~}}		{{short description\|English classical scholar (1799–1875)}}
	{{other people\|Thomas Key}}		{{other people\|Thomas Key}}
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imported>DonBeroni: /* References */

2024-04-30T16:12:20Z

References

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{{short description|19th-century English classicist}}
{{other people|Thomas Key}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
[[File:Thomas Hewitt Key. Wood engraving by (T. S.), 1875. Wellcome V0003214.jpg|thumb|Portrait. Credit: Wellcome Library]]
'''Thomas Hewitt Key''', [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]] (20 March 1799{{snd}}29 November 1875) was an [[England|English]] [[classical scholar]].<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Key, Thomas Hewitt}}</ref>

==Life==
[[File:Grave of Thomas Hewitt Key in Highgate Cemetery.jpg|thumb|left|Grave of Thomas Hewitt Key in [[Highgate Cemetery]]]]
He was born in [[London]] and educated at [[St John's College, Cambridge|St John's]] and [[Trinity College, Cambridge|Trinity]] Colleges, Cambridge, and graduated 19th [[Wrangler (University of Cambridge)|wrangler]] in 1821.<ref>{{acad|id=KY816TH|name=Key, Thomas <nowiki>[Hewett]</nowiki>}}</ref> From 1825 to 1827 he was the founding professor of Pure [[mathematics]] in the [[University of Virginia]]; Key owned at least one slave during his time there.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/slavery/Slaves_University_Virginia.pdf
|title=Slaves at the University of Virginia
|author=Gayle M. Schulman
|date=2005
|website=Latin American Studies
|access-date=17 October 2020
|quote=University professors owned at least a dozen people who had been the property of [[Thomas Jefferson]] or his relatives. Thomas Key hired, and then purchased, [[Sally Cottrell Cole|Sally Cottrell]], a slave belonging to Jefferson’s granddaughter [[Ellen Randolph Coolidge]].
|archive-date=17 October 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017154445/http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/slavery/Slaves_University_Virginia.pdf
|url-status=live
}}</ref> After his return to England was appointed in 1828 professor of [[Latin]] in the newly founded [[University of London]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In 1832 he became joint headmaster of the school founded in connection with that institution (the [[University College School]]); in 1842 he resigned the [[Professor of Latin (University College London)|professorship of Latin]], and took up that of comparative grammar, together with the undivided headmastership of the school. These two posts he held until his death.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} A few years before his death, he also took the position of secretary to the College of Preceptors in London (later known as the [[College of Teachers]]).{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Key is best known for his introduction of the crude-form (the uninflected form or stem of words) system, in general use among [[Sanskrit]] grammarians, into the teaching of the classical languages. This system was embodied in his ''Latin Grammar'' (1846). In ''Language, its Origin and Development'' (1874), he upheld the [[onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] theory.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Key was prejudiced against the German Sanskritists, and the [[etymology|etymological]] portion of his ''Latin Dictionary'', published in 1888, was severely criticized on this account. He was a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] and president of the [[Philological Society]], to the ''Transactions'' of which he contributed largely.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Key was the great-grandfather of British authors [[Rumer Godden]] and [[Jon Godden]].

He was buried on the western side of [[Highgate Cemetery]].

==Bibliography==
* ''Proceedings of the Royal Society'', vol. xxiv. (1876)
* [[Robinson Ellis]] in the ''Academy'' (Dec. 4, 1875)
* J. P. Hicks, ''T. Hewitt Key'' (1893), where a full list of his works and contributions is given.
* {{Cite ODNB|id=15407|title=Key, Thomas Hewitt|first=Christopher|last=Stray|author-link=Christopher Stray}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
'''Attribution:'''
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Key, Thomas Hewitt|volume=15|page=767}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Thomas Hewitt}}
[[Category:1799 births]]
[[Category:1875 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Highgate Cemetery]]
[[Category:Writers from London]]
[[Category:English classical scholars]]
[[Category:University of Virginia faculty]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Classical scholars of the University of London]]
[[Category:English slave owners]]
[[Category:Headmasters of University College School]]
[[Category:Committee members of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge]]
[[Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge]]

Thomas Hewitt Key - Revision history

imported>Jim Dixon 55104: Updated short description

imported>DonBeroni: /* References */