Contributions to a more detailed knowledge of the Estonian language

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The contributions to the precise knowledge of the Estonian language were an Estonian literary and cultural magazine.

background

The reopening of the University of Tartu in 1802 was significant for literary development in Estonia if only because, after an interruption of almost a century, there was now a higher educational institution in the country again. In 1803 the first (worldwide) proofreading office for Finnish and Estonian was set up here. The first editor was Friedrich David Lenz , an older brother of the Sturm und Drang writer Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz . The editing department was set up primarily to give theology students the opportunity to acquire language skills that were seen as essential for their future office.

One of Lenz's first students was Johann Heinrich Rosenplänter , who was then pastor in Pärnu from 1809 . In this capacity, he complained about the lack of a standardized language and pleaded for a unification of Estonian, which has so far been used in two different main variants, North and South Estonian. To improve the situation and as a forum for discussion, he started a magazine in 1813, the title of which was also its program.

Publication frequency and authors

Since Rosenplänter had to finance the magazine from his own pastor's salary and the number of subscribers remained low, the magazine, initially planned twice a year, could not appear regularly. A total of twenty editions were published between 1813 and 1832, spread over the following years: 1813 (2), 1814, 1815, 1816 (2), 1817 (3), 1818 (3), 1821, 1822 (2), 1823 , 1825, 1827, 1828 and 1832.

The total number of pages is approx. 3,500, the contributing authors included well-known cultural personalities of the time such as August Wilhelm Hupel , Arnold Friedrich Johann Knüpffer , Johann Wilhelm Ludwig von Luce , Otto Wilhelm Masing and Kristian Jaak Peterson . Finnish authors were also represented with Adolf Ivar Arwidsson and Carl Axel Gottlund .

Content and meaning

In terms of content, the magazine dealt not only with linguistic topics, but also with research into folklore and literature, primarily by providing appropriate texts. The extensive collections of material (words, fairy tales) to improve knowledge in this area can also be emphasized, as well as Volume 14 (1822), which is a monograph and contains Kristian Jaak Peterson's translation of Kristfried Ganander's Mythologia Fennica into German (from the Swedish original) . Volume 15 was just as important, as it was proposed for the first time to apply the Finnish rules of orthography (instead of the German ones) to Estonian, which was also done with a 30-year delay in Eduard Ahrens ' 2nd edition of Estonian grammar (1853).

As early as April 1814, Otto Wilhelm Masing wrote when he acknowledged the receipt of the second issue with thanks: “How necessary and useful the undertaking you have started is obvious to anyone who knows how little the Estonian language is really known and understood; and who can judge how miserable it looks with writing in it; since we have a lot of printed absurdities and not a single flawlessly written book on aesthetics so far. "

Even Jacob Grimm has the posts read and used for his research. His book Reinhart Fuchs (1834) contains its own chapter on Estonian animal fables, the author of which justifies its inclusion as follows: “It was only during these days that the eighth volume of Rosenplänters joined me. for a more detailed knowledge of the Estonian language, Pernau 1817, p. 120-142 gave an attractive series of Estonian animal fables, the most important of which essentially belongs here. ”Grimm himself translated them from Estonian.

The contributions made in spite of their limited distribution "the beginning of the scientific study of the Estonian and created the basis for the future Estonian literary culture."

literature

  • Leo Anvelt: Lisandusi JH Rosenplänteri tundmiseks. - Looming 6/1971, pp. 927-946.
  • Heli Laanekask: Poleemika ühise eesti kirjakeele ümber ajakirjas "Contributions", in: Keel ja Kirjandus 4/1983, pp. 191-201.
  • Otto Wilhelm Masingu kirjad Johann Heinrich Rosenplänterile 1814–1832. Koostanud Leo Anvelt, Eva Aaver, Heli Laanekask, Abel Nagelmaa. I-IV. Personnel. Registrid. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum 1995–1997.
  • Toivo Tasa: Rosenplänter ja valgustusliikumine, in: Keel ja Kirjandus 7/1982, pp. 364–369.

Web links

Single receipts

  1. ↑ Heli Laanekask: Poleemika ühise eesti kirjakeele ümber ajakirjas "Contributions", in: Keel ja Kirjandus 4/1983, p. 195.
  2. ↑ Cornelius Hasselblatt: History of Estonian Literature. From the beginning to the present. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter 2006, pp. 168–172.
  3. ↑ Otto Wilhelm Masingu kirjad Johann Heinrich Rosenplänterile 1814-1832. Esimene köide 1814-1818. Koostanud Leo Anvelt, Eva Aaver, Heli Laanekask, Abel Nagelmaa. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum 1995, p. 85.
  4. ^ Jacob Grimm: Reinhart Fuchs. Berlin: Reimer 1834, S. CCLXXXIII-CCLXXXIV.
  5. ↑ Cornelius Hasselblatt: Estonian literature in German translation. A reception story from the 19th to the 21st century. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2011, pp. 36–38.
  6. ↑ Cornelius Hasselblatt: History of Estonian Literature. From the beginning to the present. Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter 2006, p. 169.