The History of English Podcast Episode 4: A Grimm Brother Resurrects the Dead (…language)
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Jul 11, 2012 AI Snips
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Grimm Discovers Systematic Sound Patterns
- Jacob Grimm's study of Germanic words revealed systematic consonant shifts between Indo-European and Germanic languages.
- These patterns allowed linguists to distinguish inherited words from borrowings or coincidences.
Napoleon's Occupation Spurs German Scholarship
- Napoleon's occupation helped spark German nationalism and scholarly interest in native culture.
- The Brothers Grimm emerged from this movement and tied folklore collection to linguistic study.
Patterns Over Coincidence
- Grimm's method focused on systematic patterns across thousands of words, not isolated similarities.
- Systematic correspondences indicate inheritance rather than borrowing or coincidence.