Wilhelm Braune
Encyclopedia
Theodor Wilhelm Braune was a German Germanist, historical linguist and philologist.
In 1869 Braune was employed at Leipzig University, where he concluded a Habilitation (roughly equivalent to tenure at American universities) in 1874. In 1877 he was appointed to a special chair at Gießen University and was made Professor of German Language and Literature there in 1880. He counts as an important representative of the Neogrammarian
s.
Among his most lasting achievements were his works on the history of the Germanic languages. Editions of his grammars and anthologies of Old High German
and Gothic
are still in use today. In 1873 he also founded, together with Hermann Paul
, the Germanic studies journal Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur
often referred to among scholars as Paul und Braunes Beiträge (or PBB) and which remains one of the leading journals in Germanic philology to this day.
He was the recipient of a Festschrift
on the occasion of his 70th birthday, entitled Aufsätze zur Sprach- und Literaturgeschichte. Wilhelm Braune zum 20. Februar 1920 dargebracht von Freunden und Schülern (Dortmund: Ruhfus, 1920).
In 1869 Braune was employed at Leipzig University, where he concluded a Habilitation (roughly equivalent to tenure at American universities) in 1874. In 1877 he was appointed to a special chair at Gießen University and was made Professor of German Language and Literature there in 1880. He counts as an important representative of the Neogrammarian
Neogrammarian
The Neogrammarians were a German school of linguists, originally at the University of Leipzig, in the late 19th century who proposed the Neogrammarian hypothesis of the regularity of sound change...
s.
Among his most lasting achievements were his works on the history of the Germanic languages. Editions of his grammars and anthologies of Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
and Gothic
Gothic language
Gothic is an extinct Germanic language that was spoken by the Goths. It is known primarily from the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century copy of a 4th-century Bible translation, and is the only East Germanic language with a sizable Text corpus...
are still in use today. In 1873 he also founded, together with Hermann Paul
Hermann Paul
Hermann Otto Theodor Paul was a German linguist and lexicographer. He was professor for German language and literature in Freiburg in the Breisgau as well as Munich, and he was a prominent Neogrammarian....
, the Germanic studies journal Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur
Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur
The Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur is a German academic journal publishing articles on German language and literature...
often referred to among scholars as Paul und Braunes Beiträge (or PBB) and which remains one of the leading journals in Germanic philology to this day.
He was the recipient of a Festschrift
Festschrift
In academia, a Festschrift , is a book honoring a respected person, especially an academic, and presented during his or her lifetime. The term, borrowed from German, could be translated as celebration publication or celebratory writing...
on the occasion of his 70th birthday, entitled Aufsätze zur Sprach- und Literaturgeschichte. Wilhelm Braune zum 20. Februar 1920 dargebracht von Freunden und Schülern (Dortmund: Ruhfus, 1920).
Publications
- Althochdeutsches Lesebuch, zusammengestellt und mit Wörterbuch versehen von Wilhelm Braune. First edition Halle: Niemeyer, 1875. 17th ed. by Ernst Ebbinghaus. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 1994.
- Althochdeutsche Grammatik. Laut- und Formenlehre, von Wilhelm Braune. Halle: Niemeyer, 1886. 15th ed. by Ingo Reiffenstein. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 2004.
- Gotische Grammatik mit Lesestücken und Wörterverzeichnis von Wilhelm Braune. Halle: Niemeyer, 1880. 18th ed. by Ernst Ebbinghaus. Tübingen: Niemeyer, 1973.
External links
- The archive containing the first 100 volumes (1873-1979) of Beiträge zur Geschichte der deutschen Sprache und Literatur (PBB) can be accessed at http://www.digizeitschriften.de.