Pott

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.