Marko Pohlin
Encyclopedia
Marko Pohlin was a Slovene philologist and author
. He is generally considered the first exponent of the Age of Enlightenment
in the Slovene lands
.
He was born Anton Pohlin in Ljubljana
, in what was then the Duchy of Carniola
in the Habsburg Monarchy
, as the son of a tavern owner. He studied in Jesuit colleges in Novo Mesto
and Ljubljana, and joined the Augustinian order
.
He is best known for his book Kraynska grammatica (Carniola
n Grammar), a grammar of Slovene written in German
. In it, Pohlin attempted to modernize Adam Bohorič
's sixteenth-century grammar. The work is especially important for its preface, in which Pohlin praised Slovene and rejected those that regarded it as rough and unworthy of being used in literature. Pohlin also composed a Slovene-German-Latin dictionary entitled Tu malu besedišče treh jezikov (Small Trilingual Dictionary) or Dictionarium slavicum carniolicum (Slavic-Carniolan Dictionary). In 1779, he published the first issue of Pisanice (Writings), an almanac of popular songs from Carniola and Carinthia
.
Pohlin was also the author of the book Kraynske kroneke (The Carniolan Chronicles, 1770), which is considered the first work of historiography
written in Slovene. In his monograph, republished and enlarged in 1788, Pohlin took as a source the Dalmatia
n humanist historian Mauro Orbini, who saw the Slavs as the most ancient people in Europe
. Pohlin's historiographic work is considered of little worth but it was important in boosting the ethnic consciousness of his contemporary countymen.
Although Pohlin's linguistic innovations were later rejected by his successors, his Kraynska grammatika marked the beginning of the revival of Slovene language and culture
, which was later continued in Zois' circle.
He died in the monastery of Mariabrunn near Vienna
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is generally considered the first exponent of the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
in the Slovene lands
Slovene Lands
Slovene Lands or Slovenian Lands is the historical denomination for the whole of the Slovene-inhabited territories in Central Europe. It more or less corresponds to modern Slovenia and the adjacent territories in Italy, Austria and Hungary in which autochthonous Slovene minorities live.-...
.
He was born Anton Pohlin in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, in what was then the Duchy of Carniola
Duchy of Carniola
The Duchy of Carniola was an administrative unit of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy from 1364 to 1918. Its capital was Ljubljana...
in the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, as the son of a tavern owner. He studied in Jesuit colleges in Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto is a city and municipality in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historic Lower Carniola region.-Geography:...
and Ljubljana, and joined the Augustinian order
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
.
He is best known for his book Kraynska grammatica (Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
n Grammar), a grammar of Slovene written in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
. In it, Pohlin attempted to modernize Adam Bohorič
Adam Bohoric
Adam Bohorič was a Slovene Protestant preacher, teacher and author of the first grammar of Slovene.Bohorič was born in the market town of Rajhenburg in the Duchy of Styria, on the border between Lower Carniola and Lower Styria...
's sixteenth-century grammar. The work is especially important for its preface, in which Pohlin praised Slovene and rejected those that regarded it as rough and unworthy of being used in literature. Pohlin also composed a Slovene-German-Latin dictionary entitled Tu malu besedišče treh jezikov (Small Trilingual Dictionary) or Dictionarium slavicum carniolicum (Slavic-Carniolan Dictionary). In 1779, he published the first issue of Pisanice (Writings), an almanac of popular songs from Carniola and Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
.
Pohlin was also the author of the book Kraynske kroneke (The Carniolan Chronicles, 1770), which is considered the first work of historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
written in Slovene. In his monograph, republished and enlarged in 1788, Pohlin took as a source the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n humanist historian Mauro Orbini, who saw the Slavs as the most ancient people in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Pohlin's historiographic work is considered of little worth but it was important in boosting the ethnic consciousness of his contemporary countymen.
Although Pohlin's linguistic innovations were later rejected by his successors, his Kraynska grammatika marked the beginning of the revival of Slovene language and culture
Culture of Slovenia
Slovenia's first book was printed by the Protestant reformer Primož Trubar . It was actually two books, Katekizem and Abecednik, which was published in 1550 in Tübingen, Germany....
, which was later continued in Zois' circle.
He died in the monastery of Mariabrunn near Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.