MERINGER, Rudolf. Vienna 9.3.1859 — Kroisbach bei Graz 14.2.1931. Austrian IE Scholar. Professor in Graz. Son of George M., an entrepreneur, and Elisabeth Metka (d. 1877), educated in Vienna. In 1878-82 studies of Germanistics and Indogermanistics at Vienna. Ph.D. 1882 Vienna. Further studies at Berlin under J. Schmidt. From 1885 PD für idg. Sprachen and from 1892 ao. Professor für vgl. Grammatik der idg. Sprachen at Vienna, mainly teaching Sanskrit. In 1899-1930 ord. Professor für Sanskrit und der vgl. Sprachwissenschaft at Graz. Married 1895 Maria Haasz, two daughters and one son.

Meringer had wide interests including Germanic, Italic and IE languages, history of religion, language psychology and local ethnography. He combined comparative linguistics and cultural studies and thus founded the school which got its name from his famous journal Wörter und Sachen (1909–1944).

Publications: “Ueber die einsilbigen Neutra im Idg.”, Anz. Wiener Akad. 28, 1891.

– Beiträge zur Geschichte der idg. Deklination. 54 p. SWA 125. Vienna 1891.

– Indogermanische Sprachwissenschaft. Sammlung Göschen. Lp. 1891, 3rd ed. 151 p. Lp. 1903.

– “Wörter und Sachen”, IF 16, 1904, 101-196, 25 fig.; 17, 1904-05, 100-166, 15 fig.; 18, 1905-06, 204-296; 19, 1906, 401-457, 31 fig.; 21, 1907, 277-314, 16 fig.

– “Die Werkzeuge der pinsere-Reihe und ihre Namen (Keule, Stampfe, Hammer, Anke)”, W&S 1, 1909, 3-28; “Sprachlich-sachliche Probleme”, W&S 1, 1909, 164-210; “Beiträge zur Geschichte der Öfen”, W&S 3, 1912, 137-186; “Omphalos, Nabel, Nebel”, W&S 5, 1913, 43-91; also many shorter articles in W&S, etc.

– Also wrote on German, old building traditions, etc.

Sources: Bihl 54f.; *A. Cutler, Encyclop. of Lang. and Ling. 1, 2006, 12f.; H. Güntert, W&S 14, 1932, IIIf., with bibliography [no page numbers!] in V-VIII; Ö.B.L. 6, 1975; *P. Wiesinger, Lex. gramm. 1996, 628f.; Lochner von Hüttenbach, Das Fach Sprachwiss. an der Univ. Graz. 1976, 25-45 with photo; photo in Freisitzer et al. 1985, 130.