Page "Jacob Grimm" Paragraph 21

Grimm's monumental dictionary of the German Language, the Deutsches Wörterbuch, was started in 1838 and first published in 1854.

The Brothers anticipated it would take 10 years and encompass some 6-7 volumes.

However, it was undertaken on so large a scale as to make it impossible for them to complete it.

The dictionary, as far as it was worked on by Grimm himself, has been described as a collection of disconnected antiquarian essays of high value.

It was finally finished by subsequent scholars in 1961 and supplemented in 1971.

At 33 volumes at some 330, 000 headwords, it remains a standard work of reference to the present day.

A current project at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities is underway to update the Deutsches Wörterbuch to modern academic standards.

Volumes A-F are scheduled for release in 2012.