Jens Christian Svabo

Jens Christian Svabo (* 1746 in Miðvágur, Faroe Islands, † February 14, 1824 in Tórshavn ) was the first scholar who dealt with the Faroese language. He pioneered the Faroese lexicography and is one of the early Faroese ethnographers.

Jens Christian Svabo was the son of Pastor Hans Christophersen Svabonius (1702-1764) and Maria ARMGARD Datter Samuel, born Weyhe.

After graduating from the grammar school to Tórshavn in 1765, Svabo went to Copenhagen, where he graduated in 1767 his philosophical. In addition to its natural history and economic studies he dealt mainly with the Faroese language and wrote the first dictionary, the Dictionary Færoense ( Faroese - Danish - Latin), obtained from the five manuscripts (of probably seven ), from which Christian Matras 200 years later, a printed edition compiled, which appeared in 1966.

Even 100 years later Svend Grundtvig Svabos dictionary manuscripts took as the basis for his Lexicon Færoense ( 1887-1888 ). This work formed the basis for all further Faroese dictionaries ( eg by Jakob Jakobsen, 1891, Christian Matras 1961 Jóhan Hendrik Winther Poulsen 1998).

About this " unprofitable art " but he forgot his " bread study ," as his biographer J. Bloch formulated in 1882. 1771 and 1772, he hired himself then as a private tutor to Count Gustav Holck - Winterfeldt. It was followed by several economic journals.

1781-1782 Svabo traveled at the behest of King Christian VII returns to customize on the Faroe Islands to report on their natural and economic fundamentals. Here he was in his element. Whole seven volumes filled his Indberetninger fra en i travel Færø 1781-82, but were - except for a section 1785 - during his lifetime no longer to print. However, they served as one of the bases for Jørgen Landts Faroe book in 1800.

The most significant in this work was Svabos transcript of 50 Faroese ballads, as their " discoverer " it applies to the outside world because he recognized their value for the first time. A copy of this collection bought Crown Prince Frederik (later Frederik VI. ) For the then considerable sum of 50 Danish rix-dollars, which meant two rix-dollars per sheet.

But the glory was Svabo denied. A carriage was promised to him, and so he lived in relative poverty until he finally left Copenhagen to live in the Faroe Islands in abject poverty. Only from time to time he got something support from the poor box of pension chamber was otherwise dependent on the mercy of his relatives.

Jens Christian Svabo died unmarried on 14 February 1824 in Tórshavn.

Works

• Christian Matras (ed.): Svabos færøske visehaandskrifter. . Copenhagen: Sansoni, 1939 535 p ( Samfund til Udgivelse af Gammel Nordisk literature; LIX ) - " Svabos manuscripts of the Faroese folk tunes " Different:. Svabos glossary til færøske visehaandskrifter. Copenhagen, 1943 - 85 pp. - ( Samfund til Udgivelse af Gammel Nordisk literature; 60) -. " Svabos glossary for the Faroese folk tunes "

Secondary literature

• Reidar Djupedal: Jens Christian Svabo. Tórshavn, 1957-69. - 144 pp.