|

MEIER, Ernst Heinrich. Rusbend, Schaumburg-Lippe 17.5.1813 — Tübingen 2.3.1866. German Semitic Scholar interested in Sanskrit. Son of a teacher of village school. Gymnasium in Bückeburg, 1827–34. Studied theology and Oriental languages from 1834 first at Jena and Göttingen, in 1838 followed his teacher —> Ewaldto Tübingenand became his successor there, although seriously fell out with him. At Tübingen he became Ph.D. 1840, PD 1841, ao. Professor (of Semitic Languages) 1848, ord. 1856. Died after long illness.

Meier was a scholar of Hebrew and German, and much interested in Indian literature which he translated directly from Sanskrit. As a philologist he was not much appreciated. Also wrote poetry under the pen-name Ernst Minneburg (1852).

Publications: Hebräisches Wurzelwörterbuch. 48+783 p. Mannheim 1845; Geschichte der poetischen Nationalliteratur der Hebräer. 22+584 p. Lp. 1856; Commentar zu Joel. Tübingen 1841; Commentar zu Jesaja. Pforzheim 1850; articles on Semitic epigraphy, especially Phoenician in ZDMG.

– Die Bildung und Bedeutung des Plural: in den semitischen und indogermanischen Sprachen: nebst einer Einleitung über den Bau der semitischen Verbalstämme. 116+90 p. Mannheim 1846.

– Translated: Die klassischen Dichtungen der Inden. 1. Nal und Damajanti. 430 p. St. 1847, 2. Sakuntala. Ein indisches Schauspiel von Kalidasa. 31+244 p. St. 1852, 3. Meghadūta. 1847, 2nd ed. 1867; Indisches Liederbuch, in Proben aus älterer und späterer Zeit von 1200 vor bis 1200 nach Christus. 8+123 p. St. 1854; “Sāvitrī”, Morgenblatt für gebildete Leser 1854.

– Transl. Morgenländische Anthologie. Eine Auswahl klassischer Dichtungen aus der sinesischen, indischen, persischen und hebräischen Literatur. 256 p. Hildeburghausen 1869 (47-112 Inder: 49-82 Sāvitrī, 83-94 Hymnen aus dem Rig-Veda, 95-106 Sinnsprüche, 107-112 Der Wolkenbote von Kālidāsa).

– Own poetry, Swabian folklore collections, the life of his supporter, Princess Karoline von Schaumburg-Lippe.

Sources: Gosche, Wiss. Jahrbuch in ZDMG for 1862-67, 32f.C. Siegfried, A.D.B. 21, 1885, 189-192; *Augsb. Allgem. Zeitung 1866:81 Beilage, and *Ergänzungsbl. (Hildeburgh.) 1866:12, 722; H.-J. Uther in zeno.org with photo; Wikipedia with another portrait (more details in German version).