Johann Andreas Schmeller Explained

Johann Andreas Schmeller (6 August 1785 in Tirschenreuth – 27 September 1852 in Munich) was a German philologist who initially studied the Bavarian dialect. From 1828 until his death he taught in the University of Munich.^[1] He is considered the founder of modern dialect research in Germany. His lasting contribution is the four-volume (Bavarian Dictionary),^[2] which is currently in the process of revision by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

Biography

In 1821, he published (Bavarian dialects). This was later supplemented by his (Bavarian dictionary), which appeared in four volumes from 1827 to 1837. Perhaps his most notable publication was the first modern edition of the Heliand (1830).^[3]

He was also the compiler of the Carmina Burana (1847), which he named. Schmeller edited the Old High German Evangelienharmonie (1841);^[4] the Muspilli (1832);^[5] Lateinische Gedichte des 10. und 11. Jahrhunderts (1836); and Hadamar von Laber's Jagd (1850). His Cimbrisches Wörterbuch was edited by Joseph Bergmann in 1855.^{[1] [6]}

Schmeller invented the schwa symbol (ə) for use as the reduced vowel at the end of some German words, and first used it in his 1820s works on the Bavarian dialects.^[7]

Further reading

• Johannes Nicklas, Schmellers Leben und Wirken (Munich, 1885)

Notes and References

1. Schmeller, Johann Andreas. 1905.
2. Web site: Das Projekt: Bayerisches Wörterbuch (BWB) . 2024-03-04 . bwb.badw.de.
3. Book: Mierke , Gesine . Memoria als Kulturtransfer: Der altsächsische 'Heiland' zwischen Spätantike und Frühmittelalter . Böhlau . 2008 . Cologne . 11 . 978-3-412-20090-9.
4. https://books.google.com/books?id=pDA_AAAAYAAJ Heliand: oder die altsächsische Evangelien-harmonie Volumes 1-2 (1840) J. G. Cotta, Germany
5. https://books.google.com/books?id=ieBVAAAAcAAJ Muspilli Bruchstück einer althochdeutschen illiterierenden Dichtung vom Ende der Welt (1832) George Jaquet, Munich
6. Web site: 'Cimbrisches Wörterbuch : das ist Deutsches Idiotikon der VII. und VIII. Comuni in den venetianischen Alpen' - Viewer MDZ . 2024-03-04 . www.digitale-sammlungen.de.
7. Book: Bayerisches Wörterbuch : Sammlung von Wörtern und Ausdrücken, die in den lebenden Mundarten sowohl, als in der älteren und ältesten Provincial-Litteratur des Königreichs Bayern, besonders seiner ältern Lande, vorkommen, und in der heutigen allgemein-deutschen Schriftsprache entweder gar nicht, oder nicht in denselben Bedeutungen üblich sind. / 1. Enthaltend Theil I. und II. der ersten Ausgabe . VIII . de . ə, der dumpfe, am meisten dem á ähnelnde Laut, (wie z.B. in den französischen Wörtchen je, me, te). . 2024-03-04 . ə, the muffled sound most similar to á, (as in, e.g. the French particles je, me, te)..