Mittelniederdeutsches Handwörterbuch

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

61948

Title

Mittelniederdeutsches Handwörterbuch

Language

de

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

A comprehensive Middle Low German dictionary compiled by August Lübben to address the scarcity of accessible linguistic resources. Following Schiller and Lübben's monumental six-volume work, this handbook offers a practical, citation-free reference for students and researchers. The text details Lübben's diligent completion of the project posthumously, incorporating extensive updates, corrections, and expanded entries based on new source materials.

Summary up to 500 words

The *Mittelniederdeutsches Handwörterbuch* stands as a vital philological resource, serving as an accessible abridgment of the monumental six-volume dictionary originally authored by August Lübben and Friedrich Schiller. Published in 1888 by Diedr. Soltau's Verlag, this handbook was completed by Christoph Walther following Lübben's death in 1884. The project emerged from a pressing need within the Verein für Niederdeutsche Sprachforschung; the original exhaustive set had quickly exhausted its print run and proved too costly for many scholars. Consequently, the association requested a more affordable alternative that would provide rapid access to Middle Low German vocabulary without the extensive citations found in the main work. Walther undertook this task with great dedication, adhering strictly to Lübben's established principles while utilizing his extensive notes, which extended up to the letter 'U'. However, the handbook is far more than a simple reprint. It represents an improved edition enriched with new words, corrected forms, and additional meanings derived from linguistic monuments and glossaries that were inaccessible to the original authors. Walther also introduced necessary modifications to enhance usability, such as standardizing orthographic conventions. He adjusted vowel markings to distinguish long vowels clearly in both open and closed syllables and simplified consonant clusters to align with modern readability standards. The work prioritizes the general Low German speech form prevalent from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries, specifically that of the Hanseatic cities or Osterlinge. While dialectal forms are acknowledged, the text focuses on the most widely used standard forms of the middle period. The alphabetical arrangement includes specific adjustments for historical spelling variations, such as placing words beginning with 'F' under 'V' and handling double consonants consistently. This volume stands as a testament to collaborative scholarly effort, bridging the gap between exhaustive academic research and the practical needs of researchers. It offers an essential entry point into Middle Low German vocabulary, preserving the spirit of Lübben's original work while updating it for contemporary study. Through careful revision and expansion, Walther ensured that this handbook would serve as a durable tool for philologists seeking to understand the lexicon of medieval Northern Germany.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Local file path

data/epubs/pg61948.epub

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Categories

• Dictionaries
• Language