GEBAUER, Jan. Úbislavice (Auslauf) near Nová Paka 8.10.1838 — Prague 25.5.1907. Czech Slavic and IE Linguist. Professor of Slavic Philology at Charles University in Prague. Born in a poor family with German father in a small village, sent by local vicar to high school in Jičín. At university soon switched from theology to philology. In 1865-70 teacher of Czech in Pardubice, then in Prague. Ph.D. 1872 Prague. From 1873 PD for Czech language, from 1874 for Slavic Philology at Prague, then from 1880 ao. Professor and from 1881 ord. for Slavic languages there. Married 1866 Julia Wernerová, father of the authoress Marie Gebauerová (1869-1928), four other daughters and three sons.
Gebauer was mainly a specialist of Old Czech and Czech dialectology. As a student he had also been interested in Sanskrit and published some translations from the Rāmāyaṇa and the Mahābhārata. He was popular, but also dominating teacher.
Publications: Historická mluvnice jazyka českého. 1-4. 1894-1909 & 1929 (Historical grammar).
– Slovík staročeský. 1-2. 1903-13 (incomplete); many further works, mainly on Czech.
– Translated: “Nářek rodičů nad mrtvolou Jadžňadattovou”, Květy 1868:28; “Roztlučeny džbán”, Květy 1868:35; “Na smrt choti”, Květy 1868:48; “Chytrý šakal”, Květy 1869:10; “Sund a Upasund”, Květy 1869:28-30.
– Autobiography, edited by Marie Gebauerová. 1908.
Sources: *A. Bluszcz, Lex. gramm. 1996, 330f.; *Listy filologické 34, 1907, 161f.; Ö.B.L. 1; Biogr. Lex. zur Geschichte der böhmischen Länder 1, Vienna 1979; Wikipedia with photo (more in French and Czech versions).
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