Herbert Pilch (13 February 1927 – 19 April 2018) was a German

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

and celtologist. He was a professor of English language and literature at the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemb ...

. His contributions to linguistics included a theory of

phoneme In phonology and linguistics, a phoneme () is a unit of sound that can distinguish one word from another in a particular language. For example, in most dialects of English, with the notable exception of the West Midlands and the north-wes ...

s and studies of

Basel German Basel German or Baseldytsch (Standard German: ''Baseldeutsch'') is the dialect of the city of Basel, Switzerland. The dialect of Basel forms a Low Alemannic linguistic exclave in the High Alemannic region. Phonetics and phonology Consonants ...

. His main work is the ''Manual of English Phonetics''. In 2008 he was awarded the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

Works

* ''Phonemtheorie'' (Basel 1964) * ''Empirical Linguistics'' (Munich 1976) * ''Manual of English Phonetics'' (Munich 1994) * ''Altenglischer Lehrgang + Altenglische Grammatik'' (Munich 1970) * ''Sound, Sense, and System. Herbert Pilch and Postwar German Studies in English Linguistics'' (1955–1985) (Heidelberg 1987) * ''Die keltischen Sprachen und Literaturen'' (Heidelberg 2007)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilch, Herbert 1927 births 2018 deaths People from Gvardeysky District People from East Prussia Linguists from Germany Phoneticians Phonologists Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany