Filippo Salvatore Gilii

Title page of Saggio di storia americana (Rome, 1780).

Filippo Salvatore Gilii (1721–1789), also known as Felipe Salvador Gilij, was an Italian Jesuit priest and a pioneering figure in the field of South American linguistics. Gilii’s work in the province of Venezuela, particularly along the Orinoco River, laid the foundation for much of what is known about the indigenous languages and cultures of the region. His contributions to linguistics, ethnography, and the understanding of indigenous South American societies have left an indelible mark on the academic world.