Dictionary of German Spelling (Karl Erbe)
Dictionary of German Spelling is the title of an orthographic dictionary by Karl Erbe († February 16, 1927 in Ludwigsburg ).
history
Karl Erbe was the rector of the Royal High School in Ludwigsburg. His dictionary of German spelling appeared for the first time in 1902, that is, one year after the orthographic conference of 1901 and 22 years after the first edition of Konrad Duden's Complete Orthographic Dictionary of the German Language.
In the foreword to the first edition of the dictionary, Erbe writes: “I would like to justify the appearance of a new dictionary of German spelling alongside the excellent works with the same content that have been introduced for a long time and the most recently published by pointing to the abundance and diversity of the material at hand, which certainly even more than one further treatment allows. "
With this preliminary remark, Erbe anticipates the amazement of the readership and a possible mockery by reviewers that he is competing with the orthographic dictionary Konrad Dudens, which appeared in its seventh edition in 1902 . After this brief homage to Konrad Duden, Erbe explains in detail that his work, which could not differ from Duden's dictionary due to the standardization of German spelling in 1901, differs from this in terms of design.
The concept was also successful, as 121,000 copies of the dictionary were printed in six editions from 1902 to 1927.
layout
In the preface, Erbe names five main points of its special design: printing , selection , arrangement , the treatment of double and triple spellings and additions .
When printing , he tried to bring the aspects of 'handiness of the book', 'richness of the material' and 'clarity' into harmony by using sharp, clearly contrasting letters and by appropriately switching between different fonts and sizes .
The handiness of the book should also be preserved through the choice of words. Foreign words are not included if they can be classified as buzzwords, and derivatives and compositions of German words, provided their spelling is not doubtful.
The order is alphabetical, but not if it is a family of words . Then, after the root word, all derivatives and compounds are listed in the appropriate order. Apart from that, compositions should always be looked for in the defining word.
In principle, Erbe has completely incorporated the 'double or triple spelling' permitted by official regulations , in order to give teachers in particular a guide as to what is right, wrong or permissible.
Under offerings understands heritage remarks about sex, bending, origin, meaning and application of a word ', in many cases the emphasis.
content
Erbes work begins with a rule section of 14 pages: Clear presentation of the new rules for spelling. The scope of the presentation goes beyond the official set of rules , but cannot be viewed as a textbook on orthography because it is not structured pedagogically and is too brief.
The main part consists of the dictionary of 288 pages (first edition) or 342 pages (sixth edition).
From the fifth edition onwards there is an appendix `` Hints for printing corrections '' and in the sixth edition there is also a brief instruction on the deviating pronunciation of the letters in Low German and foreign language words and a page of false foreign words (I. French-looking, but not or no longer French words and II. French words that have taken on a different meaning in German) .
expenditure
- Dictionary of German spelling. In addition to a detailed presentation of the new spelling rules and the doctrine of punctuation marks. At the same time, a handbook of German verbal studies and the German translation of foreign words, as well as a guide for cases of fluctuating language and writing use. Edited by K. Erbe, Rector of the Kgl. High school in Ludwigsburg. Union Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft in Stuttgart, Berlin, Leipzig 1902.
- Second edition 1906, revised and expanded to reflect the latest spelling issues.
- Third edition 1911, revised and expanded to reflect the latest spelling issues.
- Fourth, edited and expanded edition, 1918.
- Fifth, improved and increased edition 1922.
- Sixth, improved and enlarged edition, 1927.
literature
- Karl Erbe: Dictionary of German Spelling. Stuttgart, Berlin, Leipzig 1902. Foreword.
- Karl Erbe: Question mark on the latest German spelling design. Justified by a look back at the history of German spelling since the 16th century. An enlightening addition to every teaching u. Dictionary of German spelling. Union Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft in Stuttgart, Berlin, Leipzig 1916.
Individual evidence
- ^ Foreword to the 6th edition by Karl Erbe: Dictionary of German Spelling. Union Deutsche Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart, Berlin, Leipzig 1927.