Heinrich Bauers ‘Vollständige Grammatik der Neuhochdeutschen Sprache’ (1827–1833): Ein Konjunktivsystem in den Revolutionswirren der Grammatiktheorie
Summary
The ‘Complete Grammar of Modern High German’ in five volumes (1827–1833) by Heinrjch Bauer (1773–1846), preacher and school teacher with a degree in mathematics, is the most comprehensive descriptive grammar of German to date. It not only marks the end of the grammatical tradition of the (late) Enlightenment, summarizing the knowledge accumulated within this paradigm, but also discusses new tendencies that signal a revolution in the history of the discipline. For instance, Bauer rejects the emerging preference for historical and comparative methods but accepts some results of the new theories of complex syntax. This paper attempts to illustrate the characteristics of his grammar on the basis of the chapter on mood. Bauer’s belief that both language (a system of conventional signs) and grammar are important educational factors is typical of the Enlightenment. Methodologically, the primary criterion for his rules is actual usage, although he occasionally departs from this descriptive approach and expresses normative judgments or follows questionable traditions. Bauer works meticulously and carefully weighs the alternatives, aided by a remarkable feeling for the language, but he does not always succeed in summarizing his observations systematically. Today, Bauer’s work remains interesting in three respects: First, it can serve as a model for the writing of grammars, e.g., as regards the attitude toward terminology. Secondly, the detailed descriptions contain many valuable insights into the structure of German. But above all, Bauer’s comprehensive discussion of the works of his contemporaries provides a unique survey of linguistic thinking in the first quarter of the 19th century: All the voices in this revolutionary phase in the theory of grammar, from minor contributions to ‘normal science’ (in the paradigm of the Enlightenment) to provocative theorems of the new ara, are talking to each other, as it were.