BASK, rack. RAsmus KRISTIAN (1787-1832). A Danish philologist. He was born at Brende kilde, near Odense, in the island of Fiinen: stud ied at Copenhagen, and in 1805 published his first work, an introduction to the Icelandic lan guage. In 1813 he went to Iceland. where he lived for two or three years. perfecting his knowledge of the language and history of the inhabitants. On his return to Copenhagen he was appointed sub-librarian to the university, and in ISIS published his researches on Ice landic, which led Grimm to his discovery of the sound-shifting in the Germanic languages. (See GRIMXI'S LAW.) After spending a year in Stock holm, where he published hi- Anglo-Saxon Gram mar and the first critical and complete edition of the Snorra Edda and the Edda Sainundar. he went to Saint Petersburg. when for two years he studied Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, Ru-sian, and Finnish. He then went to Astrakhan, where he studied the languages of the Tatars. and then
began a journey through the country of the Turk omans, the Caucasus, Persia, Hindustan, and finally Ceylon. where he wrote Singalesisk Skrifthrre (1822). In 1823 Bask returned to Copenhagen: in 1S23 he was appointed professor of literary history. and in 1828 of Oriental lan guages. In the following year he was made chief custodian of the university library; and in 1831, professor of Icelandic. But his immense labors bad exhausted his energies, and lie died at the early age of 45. Besides the productions already mentioned. Rack wrote Frisisk Sproghum (1825) : Den genie Aegyptiske Tidsregniny (N27): Den addeste Hebraiske Tidsregning (1828) : he-ides grammars of several languages. and a great num ber of miscellaneous articles which were col lected after his death. and published (1834-38). together with a Life by Peterson.