Renward Brandstetter

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Renward Brandstetter (born June 29, 1860 in Beromünster ; † April 17, 1942 in Lugano ) was a Swiss linguist who made fundamental contributions to the areas of Swiss-German philology and dialectology as well as Austronesian languages .

Life

Renward Brandstetter was born in 1860 as the son of the doctor and scholar Josef Leopold Brandstetter (1831-1924). After graduating from primary schools in Malters and Lucerne , he began studying linguistics at the University of Basel and Leipzig University , which he completed in 1883 with a dissertation on the subject of Bero-Münster's sibilance. He then worked until 1927 as a professor at the Cantonal School in Lucerne.

An appeal to the Schweizerisches Idiotikon failed in 1908, as its editors threatened to be dismissed if Brandstetter was to be employed with the salary offered to him, which by far exceeded theirs.

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At the beginning of his scientific work, he dealt with the late medieval theater history and the Lucerne dialect and language history, especially the Lucerne firm language . For the Swiss-speaking area, he already formulated the Brandstetter law that is named after him in his dissertation (see below). In addition, he wrote some Lucerne dialect stories under the pseudonym Rammert vom Mösli in his younger years . From 1891 he began his research on the Austronesian languages ​​and in particular the relationship between word and root.

Between 1883 and 1920 Brandstetter published a total of thirty studies on the Swiss language, theater history and folklore, and between 1886 and 1940 around fifty studies on the language and literature of Austronesian languages. A large selection of his works can be viewed in the Haus zum Dolder , and the Central and University Library in Lucerne owns the Brandstetter library.

power

In the area of ​​Swiss-German dialectology, the description of the late medieval and early modern Lucerne chancellery language as well as the replacement of the regional chancellery language by the communal German written language, Brandstetter has done fundamental things and has created something that is still valid today. His research on Lucerne's theater history must also be classified as a pioneering act. Brandstetter's methodical approach in both dialectological and philological work was in many ways downright modern.

In the field of general linguistics, Brandstetter was differently successful. His view of the “architectural linguistic affinity”, ie the structural similarities of unrelated languages, was innovative for the time. His Malayo-Polynesian studies formed a basis for Otto Dempwolff's "Comparative Phonology of Indonesian Vocabulary" published in 1934. Conversely, his (later) attempt to prove that Indonesian is related to Indo-European is strange . Brandstetter's importance for Austronesian linguistics was internationally recognized from 1900 onwards, but as a private scholar he lacked a university environment in order to be able to adequately promote his research. Towards the end of his life he had to realize that not he, but Otto Dempwolff is recognized as the founder of the comparative phonology of the Austronesian vocabulary.

Brandstetter's works often testify to a basic humanistic conviction. They also contain clear statements against colonialism , not least in its use of the term "Indonesia" instead of the " Dutch East Indies " that was customary at the time .

Brandstetter's law

In his dissertation published in 1883 and again in 1890 in his Prolegomena on a documented history of the Lucerne dialect , Brandstetter formulated a sound rule for his Swiss-German dialect, which is now known in Swiss dialectology as the Brandstettersches Gesetz . It says that in compound words the vowel quantity of the defining word (if it is historically long) is shortened and - if available or possible - the postvowel consonant of the defining word is lenited. Examples are Grooss + MUETER [Gros + muətːər] > Grosmueter [grosˌmuətːər] (grandmother), Braat- / Broot + sausage [brɑːt brɔːt + ʋʊrʃt] > Bradshaw / Brodwurst [brɑdˌʋʊrʃt brɔdˌʋʊrʃt] (bratwurst), Schue + macher [ʃuə + mɑχːər] > Schumacher [ˈʃuˌmɑχːər] (shoemaker), city ​​+ raat / -root [ʃtɑtː + rɑːt rɔːt] > Stadraat / -root [ˈʃtɑdˌrɑːt ˈʃtɑdˌrɔːt] . However, the validity of this sound rule varies from lexeme to lexeme, dialect to dialect and speaker to speaker.

Appreciation

Walter Haas , who dealt with Brandstetter in a variety of ways, paid tribute to him as follows:

«Brandstetter was a scholar with strong intuition and empathy, combined with a high feeling for the human. These character traits were best realized in his vernacular narratives. As a scientist, too, he increasingly turned away from the purely philological point of view. The focus of his research was becoming ever more evident. The main title of his most extensive series of monographs, Wir Menschen der Indonesian Erde, testifies to this . "

- Walter Haas : Lozärner Spròòch, 1968, p. 53

Honors

Selected publications

German research

Fonts
  • The sibilants of the Bero-Münster dialect. Dissertation University of Basel. Benziger, Einsiedeln 1883.
  • The rain at the Lucerne Easter Games. Lucerne 1886 (supplement to the annual report on the cantonal school and the theology of Lucerne for the school year 1885/86).
  • The genitive of the Lucerne dialect in the present and the past. Zürcher and Furrer, Zurich 1904 (essays edited by the Society for the German Language in Zurich 10).
  • Renward Cysat 1545 to 1614. The founder of Swiss folklore. Hague, Lucerne 1909.
Essays
  • The Lucerne carnival game from 1592. In: Journal for German Philology 17, 1885, 347–365.
  • The technique of the Lucerne saints games. The invention of the cross from 1585. In: Archives for the Study of Modern Language 74, 1885, 69–82.
  • Music and singing at the Lucerne Easter Games. In: Der Geschichtsfreund 40, 1885, 145–168.
  • To the Lucerne village games (in the 18th century). In: Journal for German Philology 18, 1886, 459–477.
  • Prolegomena to a documented history of the Lucerne dialect. In: Der Geschichtsfreund 45, 1890, 201–284.
  • The reception of the New High German written language in the city and landscape of Lucerne 1600–1830. In: Der Geschichtsfreund 46, 1891, 193–282.
  • The Lucerne chancellery language 1250–1600. A compact outline with special emphasis on the methodological moment. In: Der Geschichtsfreund 47, 1892, 225-318.
  • The performance of a Lucerne Easter play in the 16./17. Century. In part based on original sources. In: Der Geschichtsfreund 48, 1893, 277–336.
  • The dialect in the old Lucerne drama. A contribution to the methodology of dialect research. In: Zeitschrift für Hochdeutsche Mundarten 3, 1902, 1–26.
  • The Wuotansage in old Lucerne. In: Der Geschichtsfreund 62, 1907, 101–160. [a compilation of text sources.]
Own poetry
  • Several stories in volumes 31/32 and 48 of the Schwyzerdütsch series , ed. by Otto Sutermeister .
  • D Möischterer and de holy Sant Michel. Puuretüütschi Gschichtli from Rammert vom Mösli. Edited by Walter Haas . Comenius, Hitzkirch 1980 (Lucerne Poets 2).

Austronesian research

Fonts
  • Characterization of the Malay epic. Original examination. Räber, Lucerne 1891.
  • The sense of nature in the older Malay literature. Doleschal, Lucerne 1893 (Malaio-Polynesian Research I).
  • Tagalen and Malagasy. A comparative linguistic representation as an orientation for ethnographers and linguists. Doleschal, Lucerne 1902 (Malaio-Polynesian research. Second series. II).
  • A prodrome to a comparative dictionary of the Malay-Polynesian languages ​​for linguists and ethnographers. Haag, Luzern 1906 (Malaio-Polynesian research. Second series. III).
  • Root and word in the Indonesian languages. Haag, Luzern 1910 (Monographs on Indonesian Linguistics VI).
  • Linguistic comparative character image of an Indonesian idiom. Haag, Luzern 1911 (Monographs on Indonesian Linguistics VII).
  • Common Indonesian and Ur-Indonesian. Haag, Luzern 1911 (Monographs on Indonesian Linguistics VIII).
  • The verb. Presented on the basis of an analysis of the best texts in twenty-four Indonesian languages. Haag, Luzern 1912 (Monographs on Indonesian Linguistics IX).
  • An Introduction to Indonesian Linguistics, being four essays by Renward Brandstetter, translated by C. O. Blagden. Royal Asiatic Society, London 1916 (Asiatic Society Monographs 15).
  • Architectural language affinity in all parts of the world. With an accompanying word (thank you to the friends on the occasion of the 60th birthday). Lucerne 1920.
  • The Indonesian and Indo-European folk soul. A parallel based on linguistic research. Haag, Luzern 1921 (We humans of the Indonesian earth I).
  • Foundation stones for all-Indonesian literary studies. First cornerstone: The small poetry of the Indonesian peoples. Language, composition, metrics, genera and species. Haag, Luzern 1934 (We humans of the Indonesian earth IX).
  • Foundation stones for all-Indonesian literary studies. Second cornerstone: The importance of all-Indonesian literary studies for linguistic research and ethnic psychology. Haag, Luzern 1936 (We humans of the Indonesian earth X).
  • The relationship between Indonesian and Indo-European. Haag, Luzern 1937 (We humans of the Indonesian earth XI).
Essays
  • Malay Studies (on the prepositions). In: Zeitschrift für Völkerpsychologie und Sprachwissenschaft 17, 1887, 186–214.
  • The relationship of Malagasy to Malay. In: Festschrift for the opening of the new canton school building in Lucerne. Räber, Luzern 1893 (Malaio-Polynesische Forschungen II), pp. 65-107.
  • The position of the Minahasian idioms to the other languages ​​of Celebes on the one hand and to the languages ​​of the Philippines on the other. In: Fritz Sarasin, Paul Sarasin (ed.): Materials for the natural history of the island of Celebes. 5th volume, 2nd part. Kreidel, Wiesbaden 1906, pp. 34-38.

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Renward Brandstetter  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Walter Haas: The dictionary of the Swiss German language. Attempt through a national institution. Edited by the editors of the Swiss German dictionary. Huber, Frauenfeld 1981. p. 74.
  2. ↑ See the compilation in the Alemannic version of this article.
  3. ↑ Chapter “Achievement” according to: Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (ed.): Renward Brandstetter (1860–1942). Contribution to the 150th birthday of the Swiss dialectologist and researcher of Austronesian languages ​​and literatures. With his autobiography (PDF). Bern 2012 (language and cultures).
  4. ^ Renward Brandstetter: The sibilants of the dialect of Bero-Münster. Phil. Diss. Univ. Basel. Benziger, Einsiedeln 1883, p. 105 f. (also in Geschichtsfreund 38, 1883, pp. 309 f.); Ders .: Prolegomena to a documented history of the Lucerne dialect. Benziger, Einsiedeln 1890, p. 62 f. (also in Geschichtsfreund 45, 1890, pp. 258 f.).
  5. ↑ See also Linguistic Atlas of German-speaking Switzerland , Volume II 79 f. and especially the various volumes of the series Contributions to Swiss German Grammar , for example to the Lucerne Entlebuch Volume VII, Appendix to § 72. A 47-page, unpublished treatise on Brandstetter's law was written by the then German studies student Kurt Meyer in 1943; it is in the library of the Swiss Idiotikon .
personal data
SURNAME Brandstetter, Renward
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hammer from Mösli
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss linguist
DATE OF BIRTH June 29, 1860
PLACE OF BIRTH Beromünster
DATE OF DEATH April 17, 1942
Place of death Lugano