KAEGI, Adolf (orig. Kägi). Holderbaum bei Bauma, Canton Zürich 30.9.1849 — Rüschlikon, Canton Zürich 14.2.1923. Swiss Indologist, IE and Classical Scholar. Professor in Zürich. Son of the elementary school teacher Johann Jakob K. and Elisabetha Kündig. After gymnasium in Zürich, in 1868-71 studied at Zürich classical philology (under K. Bursian, Ed. Wölfflin), archaeology (O. Benndorf) and IE linguistics (Schweizer-Sidler). In 1871 Diplomprüfung für das höhere Lehramt, 1873 Ph.D. Zürich (with the same diss.). In 1871-72 tutor for the children of Otto Wesendonck in Zürich and Leipzig. In 1872-73 further studies at Leipzig (Brockhaus, G. ACCurtius, Aug. Kuhn, Leskien) and 1874-75 at Tübingen (Roth). From 1875 Hilfslehrer of Latin at Zürcher Gymnasium, 1877-93 Lehrer of Greek there. From 1875 PD für Sanskrit und vgl. Sprachwissenschaft at Zürich, from 1878 ao. Professor für Sanskrit und griechische Sprache unf Literatur. In 1888-90 dean of the faculty. In 1893 succeeded Schweizer-Sidler as Professor für Sanskrit, idg. und klassische Philologie at Zürich University. In 1912 retired because of an illness, from 1914 Honorarprofessor. Married 1878 Anna Karolina Denzer, two sons and two daughters.
While Kaegi’s early works were much concerned with Veda, especially the Rigveda, the pupil of Roth later turned more to Greek philology. He reformed the teaching of Greek at schools and wrote extremely popular textbooks. He was also an active member of church and served in the cantonal synod. Among his students was Schönfeld.
Publications: Diss. “Kritische Geschichte des spartanischen Staates von 500–431 v.Chr.”, Fleckeisens Jahrbücher f. class. Philologie Suppl. 6, 1873, 435-505.
– Translated with K. Geldner & R. Roth: Siebenzig Lieder des Rigveda. 176 p. Tübingen 1875.
– Der Rigveda, die älteste Literatur der Inder. Wiss. Beilage zum Progr. der Kantonschule Zürich 1878-79; 2nd ed. 288 p. Lp. 1881, English transl. by R. Arrowsmith. Boston 1886.
– “vastra usrāḥ im Ṛgveda”, Festgruss Böhtlingk 1888, 48f.; “Die Neunzahl bei den Ostariern”, Philologische Abhandlungen H. Schweizer-Sidler gewidmet 1891, 50-70; “Die vedischen Aoriste āvar, var, āvaḥ, vaḥ”, Festgruss R. Roth 1893, 159-166.
– Griechische Schulgrammatik. 1884, 2nd rev. ed. 18+286+46 p. B. 1889, 11th ed. 1921, many further editions, English, French and Dutch versions; Griechische Übungsbuch. 1. 1891, 23rd ed. 1922, 2. 1895, 20th ed. 1922, 3. 1906, 2nd ed. 1919 — both often reprinted.
– Further articles and books on Greek.
Sources: G. Baader, N.D.B. 10, 1974, 723; *E. Schwyzer, Idg. Jb. 10, 1924-25, 428-431; *E. Schwyzer, Jb. über die Fortschritte der klass. Altertumswiss. 206, 1925, 61-85; R. Wachter, Web HistLexSchweiz; briefly D.B.E. 5, 1997, 393; *Festgabe Adolf Kaegi, von Schülern und Freunden dargebracht. Frauenfeld 1919; German Wikipedia with photo (also in Rau 53, from Festgabe).
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