As hundreds of Marlburians prepare to re-engage with their studies in Modern Languages, it is pleasing to announce the donation of some historical works of German philology to the College’s Rare Books collection. These consist of the four folio volumes of Johann Christoph Adelung’s Grammatisch-Kritisches Wörterbuch der Hochdeutschen Mundart (Vienna, 1808) and the same author’s handbook for language-teaching in schools, Deutsche Sprachlehre für Schulen (Berlin, 1795). Both titles come to us from the library of Charles Turpin (PR 1970-74), whom we thank most warmly for his kindness and generosity.
Johann Christoph Adelung (1732-1806) is remembered as the lexicographer who set the parameters for the standardisation of German, and whose achievements in that language paralleled Dr Samuel Johnson’s work on A Dictionary of the English Language (1755). It is pleasing to observe that visitors to the Rare Books collection will now be able to find Adelung’s important volumes standing next to the College’s copy of Johnson’s Dictionary, two Enlightenment masterpieces of linguistic research on one sturdy shelf.
You can learn more about the College’s exceptional collection of Rare Books in our recent publication Rare Books at Marlborough: An A to Z.
