Georg Freytag

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Freytag (September 19, 1788 – November 16, 1861) was a German philologist.

Freytag was born in Lüneburg. After attending school he entered the University of Göttingen as a student of philology and theology; here from 1811 to 1813 he acted as a theological tutor, but in the latter year accepted an appointment as sub-librarian at Königsberg. In 1815 he became a chaplain in the Prussian army, and in that capacity visited Paris.

On the proclamation of peace Freytag resigned his chaplaincy, and returned to his researches in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, studying at Paris under Silvestre de Sacy. In 1819 he was appointed to the professorship of oriental languages in the new University of Bonn, and this post he continued to hold until his death.

Besides a compendium of Hebrew grammar ("Kurzgefasste Grammatik der hebräischen Sprache", 1835), and a treatise on Arabic versification ("Darstellung der arabischen Verskunst", 1830), Freytag edited two volumes of Arabic songs ("Hamasae carmina", 1828-1852) and three of Arabic proverbs ("Arabum proverbia", 1838-1843).

Freytag's principal work was the laborious and praiseworthy "Lexicon Arabicolatinum" (Halle, 1830-1837), an abridgment of which was published in 1837.

References

*1911