The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Vater, Johann Severin

VATER, Johann Severin, a German linguist, born in Altenburg, May 27, 1771, died in Halle, March 16, 1826. He was a student and professor at Jena and Halle, in 1809 was transferred to Königsberg, and in 1820 resumed his chair at Halle. Although he taught theology, he is chiefly known as a philologist. His works include a Hebrew grammar (1797); Handbuch der hebräischen, syrischen, chaldäischen und arabischen Grammatik (1801); a Polish (1807) and a Russian grammar (1809); a continuation of Adelung's Mithridates (1809-'17); and Literatur der Grammatiken, Lexika und Wörtersammlungen aller Sprachen der Erde (1815). He also edited and continued Henke's Allgemeine Geschichte der christlichen Kirche (1818-'23).