POTT, ArRusT FRIEDRICH 0802-87). A dis tinguished German philologist. the founder of modern scientific etymology. He was horn at Nettelrede, Hanover. November 14. 1802. and was educated in the lyceum at Hanover, studied theology, philology, and natural sciences at Ga tingen (1821-251, then was assistant at the gymnasium in Celle until 1827, when he went to Berlin to become a pupil of Bopp. In 1S30 he became privat-docent there, and in 1833 was appointed professor of comparative philology at the University of Halle, which position he occu pied until his death, July 5, 1887. The work which established his reputation was the Ety mologische Forschangen oaf dent Grbicte dcr indogermanischen Sprachen (1833-36), pub lished afterwards in a revised and much enlarged edition under the title Tharz-elicorterbuch der indogermanischen Sprachen (1859-76). The most important among his other writings include: De Lituano-Borassiew in Slaricis Letticisque Lin guis Principatn (1837-41) ; Die Zigeuner in Eu ropa and Asien. (1844-45) : Die quimiire and rigesimalc Zahlmethode bei aller teile (1S47) ; Die Personennamen, insbesondere die Familiennamen and ihre Entstehunqsarten (2d ed. 1859) ; Die Cngleichheit menschlichcr
R assen, hauptsiichlich coat sprachwissensehaft lichen Standpunkt (1856) ; Anti-Kau/en, odor mythischc Vorstellungen con Ursprung der Vdikcr and Sprachen (1863); Allgemeine Sprach wisscnschaft and Carl Abels iigyptische Sprach studien (1SS6). Besides many essays and critical reviews in various periodicals, he contributed important treatises to Ersch and Gruher's _Ill gemeine Encyclopiidie and edited Wilhelm von Humboldt's Urber die Verschiedenheit des mensehlichen Sprachbaues, with an introductory essay, Wilhelm. ran Humboldt and die Aprach wissenschaft (Berlin, 1876; 2d ed. 1880). Con sult: Von der Gabelentz, in A/igen/eine deutsche Biographic, vol. xxvi. (Leipzig, 1888) ; and Horn, in Bezzenberger's Beitriige Kunde der indogermanisehen Sprachen, vol. •iii. (Gottingen, 1SSS).