Olga Fischer - Biography#

Born in Hilversum, The Netherlands in 1951. 'Kandidaatsexamen' (BA) in English Language and Linguistics, 1973 (University of Amsterdam, cum laude). MA in the 'History of English and General Linguistics', 1975 (University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne), supervisor MA thesis, Prof. Barbara Strang, title 'A Comparative Study of Philosophical Terms in the Alfredian and Chaucerian Boethius'. 'Doctoraalexamen' (MA) in English Language and Literature, 1976 (University of Amsterdam, cum laude). Doctorate, University of Amsterdam, 1990 (doctoral thesis: "Syntactic Change and Causation: Developments in Infinitival Constructions in English", cum laude). Lecturer in Historical Linguistics, University of Amsterdam, 1977-1992. Reader in Historical Linguistics, University of Amsterdam, 1992-1999. Professor of Germanic Linguistics, University of Amsterdam from 1999. Visiting scholar: University of Manchester, 1985-86. Visiting professor: University of Zürich, January-February 2000; University of Innsbruck, March-April 2002; University of Vienna March-July 2006, and March-July 2009; University of Lille 3, September- March 2012-13.

Between 2011-2013, elected 'President (Elect)' of the Societas Linguistica Europeae , and from 2011 onwards 'President( Elect)' of ISLE ( International Society for the Linguistics of English).

Has published extensively in international journals in the area of English historical linguistics, especially historical syntax. Interest in syntactic change related to changes in word order, comparison with developments in Dutch and German, grammaticalisation and the interaction between grammaticalisation and iconisation in language change.