[1] He received his master's degree in classical philology and comparative Indo-European linguistics in 1966.
[1][2] He carried out field research in Hungary, Turkey, the USSR, Mongolia, Peru, Chile, Samoa, Tokelau, and the Solomon Islands.
[1] He produced extensive research and published textbooks for both university and high school use.
[1] In 1995 he was a guest professor at the University of Copenhagen, and from 1978 to 1980 he served as the first editor of the Nordic Journal of Linguistics.
[1] He held several key positions within university administration and research, including dean of the Faculty of Arts in Oslo.