István Kniezsa

István Kniezsa was a Hungarian linguist and Slavist, corresponding (1939) and regular (1947) member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He was one of the most significant figures in Hungarian language historical research in the 20th century, achieving significant scientific results in the study of place and personal names in the Carpathian Basin, in researching the medieval state and writing practice of the Hungarian language, as well as in the exploration of foreign words of Slavic origin. His major contribution was to the research of Slavic loanwords in the Hungarian language and toponymy. He was awarded by Kossuth Prize in 1953.