ASCOLI, Graziadio Isaia. Gorizia 16.7.1829 — Milano 21.1.1907. Italian (Jewish) Linguist. Professor in Milano. Born in a rich Jewish merchant family in Gorizia (Görz, then of Austria) as the son of Leone Flaminio A. (died early) and Elena Norsa. Never went to school, but was tutored by the famous Hebrew scholar Samuel David Luzzato together with his own son —> Filosenno Luzzato. Started an early career of literary author and at the same time studied Oriental languages, gradually decided to concentrate in IE Linguistics. From 1861 until his death Professor of Comparative Philology (di Storia comparata delle langue classiche e neolatine) at the R. Accademia Scientifico-letteraria di Milano, also teaching Sanskrit. 1888 Senator.
As a linguist Ascoli criticized German Junggrammarians and was much interested in dialectology. He also worked on Romance Linguistics and on IE-Semitic contacts. The concept of substratum was developed by him.
Publications: Studi Orientali e Linguistici. 1-3. 420 p. Milano 1854-61 (i.a. “Epica indiana. Cenni intorno al Mahâb‘hàrata e particolarmente all’ episodio Nala. Testo e trad. italiana”, 1, 1854, 55-144 & 2, 1855, 186–233); St. Or. e L. 3 = Studi Critici. 1.; Studi Critici. 2. 520 p. Milano 1877 (i.a. “Saggi Indici”).
– Zigeunerisches. 178 p. Turin & Florenz 1865; “Delle voce pracrite appa, atta, ruppo etc.”, Riv. Or. 1, 1867-68, 1113-1125; further articles in KZ, Mem. Ist. Lombardo etc.
– Studi ario-semitici. 1-2. Mem. Ist. Lombardo ser. 3, cl. 2, vol. 10, n. 7 & 10, 1865; Corsi di glottologia. 1. Lezioni di fonologia comparata del sanscrito, del greco e del latino. Turin 1870, German transl. Vorlesungen über die vergleichende Lautlehre des Sanskrit, des Griechischen und des Lateinischen. 201 p. Vorträge über Glottologie 1. Halle 1872; Sprachwissenschaftliche Briefe. 228 p. Lp. 1887; founder and editor of the Archivio Glottologico Italiano 1-16, 1873-1902/05, with numerous own contributions.
– “Iscrizione inedite o mal note greche, latine, ebraiche di antichi sepolcri giudaici nel Napoletano edite ed illustrate”, Atti del Congr. Intern. degli Orientalisti IV Firenze 1880, 239-354.
Sources: T. Bolelli, D.B.I. 4, 1962, 380–384; *M. Bréal, BSL 14:2, 1907, 222f.; *Ciardi-Dupré, RSO 1, 1907, 573-575; *A. De Gubernatis, Rivista d’Italia 4:1, 1904, 617-623; *St. Gensini, Lex. Gramm. 1996, 45-49; *H. Kern, CRAI 1908, 814-836; *F.L. Pullé, Gr.A. 30 p. Bologna 1907 (with portrait); *S. Reinach, CRAI 51, 1907, 49-51; *W. von Raffler, “Ascoli, forerunner of Matteo Bartoli”, Word 9, 1953, 54f.; *Silloge linguistica dedicata alla memoria di Gr.I.A. 47+690 p. Turin 1929 (with P.G. Goidánich on Ascoli, ix-xxvii); works in Gli studi Orientali in Italia 1861–1911; Wikipedia (Italian with more details, both with photo); *Miscellanea linguistica in onore di Gr. A. Turin 1901 (with photo, again in Pedersen 1959, 279).
*R. Peca-Conti, Carteggio Graziadio Isaia Ascoli – Emilio Teza. Pisa 1978.
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