Rudolf von Raumer (1815-76) spent his entire career at the University of Erlangen in Bavaria, working independently of the main linguistic controversies of his time. Realising that historical and comparative phonology needed more precise phonetic concepts and terminology, Raumer proposed many refinements and clarifications in that area. He emphasised both the foundational role of Jacob Grimm's work and the need to progress beyond it; the earliest essay in this volume, dating from 1837, offered fresh insights into Grimm's Law. Raumer also did extensive research on German dialectology and orthography. In 1876 his proposals for spelling reform were partly implemented by the Prussian government, and his influence on spelling is acknowledged in Konrad Duden's famous Die deutsche Rechtschreibung (1872). Raumer published this collection of essays in 1863, as a record of the development and first publication date of his theories, which, he says wryly, 'have been frequently used by others'.
