Pott, August Friedrich
A great philologist, born at Nettelrede in Hanover, November 14, 1802. He received his
philological training at Göttingen and Berlin, and in 1833 became Professor
Extraordinarius of Linguistic in the University of Halle, and in 1839 Professor Ordinarius. He
died at Halle, July 5, 1887. His principal works are the following:
Etymologische
Forschungen auf dem Gebiet der indogermanischen Sprachen, in 2 vols.
(1833- 36;
2d ed. in 6 vols. 1859-76);
Die Ziegeuner in Europa und Asien, 2 vols.
(1844-45);
Die Personennamen (1853);
Die Ungleichheit der menschlichen Rassen vom Sprachwissenschaftlichen
Standpunkt (1856);
Doppelung als eins der wichstigsten
Bildungsmittel der Sprache (1862);
Anti-Kaulen oder mythische
Vorstellungen, etc.
(1863); and
Die Sprachverschiedenheit
in Europa (1868).
In the development of language-study on a scientific basis, Pott stands next to Franz
Bopp (q.v.), and in the vastness of his erudition and
sympathetic insight was even his superior. His knowledge of anthropology was very effective in
checking rash generalizations and hasty conclusions on the part of enthusiastic followers of
the new science of comparative philology; and his
Etymologische Forschungen was
long a treasury of suggestive thought to students, though marred by lack
of order and systematic presentation. See
Philologia.
