RISCH, Ernst. Moscow 9.10.1911 — Kilchberg, Zürich 1.9.1988. Swiss IE and Mycenaean Linguist. Professor in Zürich. Born in Russia in a Swiss family, son of Carl Theodor Risch and Anna Mors. His father was commercial director of a cotton factory, when this was taken by the state the family moved to Switzerland in 1918. Studies at Zürich (under M. Leumann) and Munich (F. Sommer). Ph.D. 1935 Zürich. Taught at Zürich University: PD from 1942, Titularprofessor from 1950, 1956 ao. Prof., then ord. 1959-81 für indogermanische Sprachwissenschaft, besonders für Griechisch, Latein und Sanskrit. Married c. 1941 Verena Isler, three children.
Risch was also teaching Sanskrit, but his main interests were Greek, word formation and dialectology, and especially Mycenaean. Among his students were A. Etter, A. Leukart and M. Meier-Brügger.
Publications: Diss. Wortbildung der Homerischen Sprache. 16+330 p. B. & Lp. 1937, rev. 2nd ed. 1974; hab.diss. “Griechische Determinativkomposita”, IF 59, 1944-49, 1-61, 245-294.
– “Betrachtungen zu den indogermanischen Verwandtschaftsnamen”, Museum Helveticum 1, 1944, 115-122; “Eine in Zürich gefundene indische Kupfertafel”, As.St./Ét.as. 16, 1963, 66-75, 1 pl.
– With E. Bornemann: Griechische Grammatik. Frankfurt/M. 1973, 2nd ed. 360 p. Frankfurt/M. 1978.
– Kleine Schriften. Ed. by A. Etter & M. Looser. 783 p. B 1981; Gerundivum und Gerundium. Gebrauch im klassischen und älteren Latein, Entstehung und Vorgeschichte. 20+219 p. B. 1984; much on Mycenaean, also wrote on Latin and Hittite.
Sources: *A. Etter (ed.), o-o-pe-ro-si. Festschrift für Ernst Risch zum 75. Geburtstag. 783 p. B. 1986 with photo (also in TITUS Galeria); *B. Forssman, Kratylos 34, 1989, 214-221; *M. Mayrhofer, Almanach Ö.A.W. 139, 1988-89, 369-375; R. Schmitt, N.D.B. 21, 2003, 645f.; Schweizer Lexikon 91 5, 1993; German Wikipedia.
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