É. Apor , I. Ormos (ed.): Goldziher Memorial Conference, June 21–22, 2000, Budapest.
HOPKINS, Simon: The Language Studies of Ignaz Goldziher
SIMON HOPKINS immer nur Schüler sein kann", or "Ich bin sehr wenig kompetent in sprachvergleichenden Fragen mitzureden". 1, 1 We should recall here his close association with two of the greatest works ever published in the field of Semitic linguistics. Nöldeke's Beiträge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft (Strassburg 1904) bears the inscription to "Ignaz Goldziher als Zeichen der Hochachtung und Freundschaft gewidmet"' 4, a dedication which was to its recipient a source of enormous pride and gratification. 9 5 Of the same author's Neue Beiträge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft (Strassburg 1910) Goldziher writes to Nöldeke, even before having finished the chapter on biradical substantives, that he had scarcely ever revelled ("geschwelgt") in enjoyment of a scholarly book to such an extent before. 9 6 The mutual admiration of the two great scholars ran deep and was of long standing. 9 7 Goldziher was Nöldeke's preferred successor to the Strassburg chair in 1 906 9 8 and it was Goldziher's unique combination of sovereign command of linguistic detail ("lower" philology) and prodigious familiarity with the cultural milieu of Islamic texts ("higher" philology) that led Nöldeke to recognise in him an "echter Philolog", 9 9 fired by the spark of genius. 1"" 4. The three periods of Goldziher's career Goldziher's scholarly career has been divided into three periods: (i) to 1876/8, (ii) 1876/8-1910, (iii) 1910-1921."" The first comprised the works of his youth in 9 3 Hanisch, Briefwechsel 107, 306. 9 4 F. Schwally's revision of the first volume of Nöldeke's Geschichte des Qorans (Leipzig 1909) was inscribed to Goldziher and Snouck Hurgronje. 9 5 Tagebuch 235 and cf. Snouck Ilurgronje's letters to Goldziher dated 11.9.1904, 18.4.1908 and 25.12.1910 in van Koningsveld, Letters 235, 271, 350. 9 6 Simon, Letters 344 (2.11.1910). 9 7 For Goldziher's admiration for Nöldeke "als Gelehrter und Humanist" see the letter (1902) in Hanisch, Briefwechsel 189. 9 8 Simon, Letters 283 (7.8.1905). Goldziher, Tagebuch 249 refers to another letter from Nöldeke on this subject dated 15.12.1905, and cf. Simon, ibid. 187 (4.12.1893), where Nöldeke already envisages this possibility. 9 9 Th. Nöldeke, ZA 26 (1912), v. ln o Th. Nöldeke to Snouck Hurgronje 27.5.1909 and 7.12.1921, quoted by Hurgronje, ZDMG 85 (1931), 281. Hurgronje responded to Nöldeke on this subject on 13.6.1909 and 30.12.1921 (P. Sj. van Koningsveld, Orientalism and Islam. The Letters of C. Snouck Hurgronje to Th. Nöldeke , Leiden 1985, 146, 296) and he communicated to Goldziher the text of Nöldeke's first letter on 17.6.1909 (van Koningsveld, Letters 308, 312). 10 1 This somewhat artificial yet convenient periodization is that of Németh, Acta Orientalin Hung. 1 (1950), 10-11, adopted by J. Fiick, Die arabischen Studien in Europa , Leipzig 1955, 228, 229, 231. Goldziher himself might have divided his life differently. He regarded ( Tagebuch 8off.) the year 1883 as a milestone in his career, marked by the 104
