TRUMPP, Ernst T. Ilsfeld, Württemberg 13.3.1828 — Munich 5.4.1885. German Missionary and Indologist. Professor in Munich. Son of carpenter Georg Thomas Trumpp and Sara Bader. After gymnasium in Heilbronn studied at Tübingen (Ewald), passed theological examination in 1848. Even now studied Arabic and Sanskrit under Ewald and Roth. Participated in 1849 uprising, fled to Switzerland. Worked as a tutor and traveled in France, Italy and England. Ph.D. 1854. He joined the Church Missionary Society and worked one year in 1854-55 in Sindh studying the language. In a furlough in Palestine learned Arabic and Ge‘ez. In 1856 ordained deacon. After another year in Karachi he returned to Europe. Living in Stuttgart he worked on his materials. In 1862 again to India, studied 18 months Pashto in Peshawar. In 1864-70 in Germany (vicar in Pfullingen), then again to India for two years for the translation of the Sikh Canon. For a while taught Oriental languages at Tübingen (PD 1872), in 1874 succeeded M. J. Müller as Professor of Oriental languages and literature at Munich. Member of Bavarian Academy 1874. He had problems with eyes and in 1883 became completely blind. Married 1856 Pauline Linder (d. 1857), one son, second marriage 1858 with Luise Pelargus.
Trumpp was a many-sided linguist, who wrote on Sindhi, Kafir (Nuristani), Brahui, Pashto, Persian, Arabic, and Ge‘ez. The planned etymological dictionary of Sindhi remained incomplete. He was a great pioneer of modern Indian language studies. His magnum opus was the English translation of the Ādi Granth, containing about one third of the whole. Later he was criticized for translating Pañjabī as a sort of corrupt Sanskrit, discarding the local knowledge and traditions of interpretation. He was the first to show the Dravidian character of the Brahui.
Publications: Sindhi Reading Book, in the Sanscrit and Arabic Character. 7+70+130 p. L. 1858; Sindhi Grammar of the Sindhi language compared with the Sanskrit-Prakrit and the cognate Indian vernaculars. 50+ 540 p. L. & Lp. 1872.
– “Das Sindhī in Vergleich zum Prākrit und den anderen neueren Dialecten Sanskritischen Ursprungs”, ZDMG 15, 1861, 690-752; “Die Stammbildung des Sindhi im Vergleich zum Prākrit und den anderen neueren Dialecten Sanskr. Ursprungs”, ZDMG 16, 1862, 127-214; “Declensional Features of the North Indian Vernaculars, comp. with Sk., Pāli and Pkt.”, JRAS N.S. 19, 1862, 361-406.
– “Eine Sindhī-Sprachprobe. Sōraṭhi. Ein Sindī Gedicht aus dem grossen Dīvān des Sayyid ‘Abd-ul-Latīf, bekannt unter dem Namen Šāha jō risālō or Buch des Šāh”, ZDMG 17, 1863, 245-315 (text, tr., notes); edited The Diwan of Abd-ul-Latif Shah, known by the name of Shaha ja risalo. 739 p. Lp. 1866.
– “On the Language of the so-called Kāḟirs of the Indian Caucasus”, JRAS 19, 1862, 1-29 (Ashkund); “Ueber die Sprache der sogenannten Kāfirs im indischen Caucasus (Hindū Kūsch)”, ZDMG 20, 1866, 377-418; “The Languages and Races of Dardistan”, Calcutta Review 54, 1872, 223-2??.
– Grammar of the Pashto or language of the Afghans, compared with the Iranian and North-Indian idioms. 428 p. L. 1873; “Die Verwandtschaftsverhältnisse des Paṧtō, zugleich eine Kritik von Raverty’s Grammar of the Pushto”, ZDMG 21, 1867, 10-155 & 23, 1869, 1-133.
– Transl. The Adi Granth, or, the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs. 138+715 p. L. 1877.
– Edited & transl. “Die ältesten Hindi-Gedichte”, SBaAW 1879:1, 1-48.
– “Bemerkungen über den indischen Reformator Kabir”, Atti di IV Congr. int. Orient. Florence 1878 2, 1880, 159-176.
– “Grammatische Untersuchungen über die Sprache der Brāhūīs”, SBaAW 1880:6, 126 p.
– On prononciation and accent in Persian, SBaAW 1872; on Arabic language and literature, SBaAW 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1882, 1884, ZDMG 1884; on Ethiopian accent, ZDMG 1874; on baptism in Ethiopian Church, ABaAW 1878; edited in Ethiopian: Adam, ABaAW 1880, and Pseudo-Epiphanius, ABaAW 1882; etc.
Sources: Brückner et al. 2003, 51-54; Buckland, Dictionary; *F. Hommel, A.D.B. 38, 1894, 687-689; *K. v. Prantl, SBaAW 1886, 142-145; *A. Schimmel, E.Tr., 1828–1885, ein kurzer Abriss seines Lebens und Werks. Karachi 1998; *Trilochan Singh, E.Tr. and W. H. McLeod as Scholars of Sikh history, religion and culture. 33+418 p. Chandigarh 1994; JRAS 17, 1885, xxxii-xxxv; Stache-Rosen 1990, 70f.; briefly D.B.E. 10, 1999, 102; Wikipedia (more in German version, both with a poor photo); better photo in Rau 34.
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