Frederick Bodmer

Frederick Bodmer (actually Friedrich Bodmer ; born February 14, 1894 in Fällanden / Zurich; † January 2, 1960 in Rome ) was a Swiss linguist . He is the author of a widely read popular science paper on The Languages ​​of the World .

Life

He wrote his dissertation in 1924 at the University of Zurich on the subject of Studies on Dialogue in Lessing's Nathan . He then taught in Europe and in the 1930s and 1940s at the University of Cape Town , where he was described as a Trotskyist and politically radical in 1933 and participated in the New Era Fellowship, a debate and discussion event founded by Goolam Gool in 1937 and a forum for black students offered, involved; see also the portrait from 1929 made by the artist Irma Stern .

Bodmer later taught at the Department of Modern Languages at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) , where he was replaced by Noam Chomsky in 1955 .

Publications (selection)

• The Loom of Language. A Guide to Foreign Languages ​​for the Home Student ; ed. by Lancelot Hogben ; Primers for the Age of Plenty, 3; George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London 1943
  • German translation: The languages ​​of the world. History, grammar, vocabulary in a comparative presentation . Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 1955
  • current issue: The languages ​​of the world. History, grammar, vocabulary in a comparative presentation . Parkland-Verlag, Cologne 1997; ISBN 3-88059-880-0

Web links

• Literature by and about Frederick Bodmer in the catalog of the German National Library
• Announcement for a lecture by Bodmer at MIT (PDF file; 1.75 MB)
• Painting that Dr. Frederick Bodmer shows

Individual evidence

1. ↑ http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71619?oid=131970&sn=Detail
2. ↑ THE SELFLESSNESS OF DORA TAYLOR: Political Duty and Literary Sacrifice - by Ciraj Rassool
3. ^ South Africa's Radical Tradition: A documentary history, Volume two 1943–1964. 84., edited by Alison Drew.
4. ↑ http://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Portrait-of-Dr-Frederick-Bodmer/4E3B245550CA86FD (last accessed on February 23, 2012)
5. ↑ Education: Anatomy of Lingo (review of the book The loom of language in Time magazine, April 10, 1944)
6. ^ Review of the German-language edition of The Languages ​​of the World in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of October 7, 1955 .