PICTET, Adolphe. Lancy, Kanton Geneva 9/11.9.1799 — Geneva 12/20.12.1875. Swiss Officer and IE Scholar. Teacher and Docent in Geneva. Son of the well known diplomat and politician, the member of Genevan Government Charles Pictet-de Rochemont (1755–1824), and Sara Rochemont. Educated at Hofwyl (Bern), then studies aesthetics and philosophy at Geneva and from 1820 in Paris, 1821-23 at Berlin (Hegel) and 1823 at Edinburgh. Artillery officer, Colonel 1839. From 1840 Professor of Aesthetics and History of modern Literatures at Genevan Academy (young de Saussure was his student), from 1844 also PD at the University. Married 1823 Emma Cazenove, three daughters and two sons.
Publications: De l’affinité des langues celtiques avec le sanscrit. 16+176 p. P. 1837.
– Les origines indo-européennes ou les Aryas primitifs. 1-2. P. 1859-63, 2nd ed. 1-3. 1877.
– Articles on IE etymology and cultural history, e.g. in KZ 4-6, 1855-57.
– Further publications on Celtic, on classical philology, and on Aesthetics (Du beau dans la nature, l’art et la poésie. 386 p. P. 1856).
Sources: Hist.-Biogr. Lex. der Schweiz 5; La Grande Encyclop. 26; R. Engler, Lex. gramm. 1996, 728 (corrects some faults in earlier sources); Wikipedia with portrait (more details in French version).
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