Biography.guide
Home › People › Linguist › David Matthews
Portrait of David Matthews

David Matthews

1932 – 2020

British scholar, author, and translator of Urdu literature

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About David Matthews

Lived 1932 – 2020 (aged 87–88). David Matthews was a British linguist.

David Matthews (; 1942 – 5 March 2021) was a British scholar, author, and translator of Urdu literature and translator of Muhammad Iqbal and Mir Anees poetry in English. He taught Urdu language and Urdu literature for over 30 years (1965–99) at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London after graduating in Classics at UCL.

Books Matthews published a number of works relating to Urdu literature, including many translations of significant classical Urdu works. One of his major interests was poetry. His 70 works have appeared in 250 publications in 4 languages and 2091 library holdings. Umrao Jan Ada Urdu Literature Complete Urdu Beginner to Intermediate Course Essential Urdu Dictionary

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1932
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
St John's College, Cambridge

People in David Matthews's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped David Matthews's

Frequently asked questions

Who was David Matthews?

British scholar, author, and translator of Urdu literature (1932-2020)

When was David Matthews born?

David Matthews was born in 1932.

When did David Matthews die?

David Matthews died on 14 June 2020.

What was David Matthews's occupation?

David Matthews was a linguist.

What nationality was David Matthews?

David Matthews was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: David Matthews

· Wikidata: Q105942812

· DBpedia: David Matthews (academic)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). David Matthews. https://biography.guide/david-matthews-linguist/

MLA: "David Matthews." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/david-matthews-linguist/.

Chicago: "David Matthews." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/david-matthews-linguist/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:28 UTC