Grot, Iakov

Grot, Iakov Karlovich 

Born Dec. 15 (27), 1812, in St. Petersburg; died there May 24 (June 5), 1893. Russian philologist; member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1856).

la. K. Grot was a professor at the University of Hel-singfors (Helsinki; 1840–52) and at the St. Petersburg Lycée (1852–62). He was the author of works on the history of Swedish and Finnish literature and on Scandinavian folklore and mythology, of translations of Scandinavian poets, and of research in Russian literature, including Pushkin, His Lycée Schoolmates and Instructors (1887; 2nd ed., 1899). The Literary Life of Krylov, and Outline of the Life and Poetry of Zhukovskii(mi). He published The Works of G. R. Derzha-vin With Explanatory Notes by la. Grot (vols. 1–9. 1864–83) and other such editions. His Philological Investigations (vols. 1–2, 1873; 4th ed., 1899) are devoted to Russian grammar and lexicology. Of great importance was his Russian Spelling (1855; 22nd ed., 1916). which set Russian spelling norms that were maintained with but slight changes until the orthographic reform of 1918. In 1891 publication of the Academy Dictionary of the Russian Language began under Grot’s direction. (He took part in producing three installments—letters A to D.)

WORKS

Trudy, vols. 1–5. Edited by K. Ia. Grot. St. Petersburg, 1898–1903.
Perepiska Ia. K. Grota s P. A. Pletnevym, vols. 1–3. St. Petersburg, 1896.

REFERENCES

Grot, K. Ia. Materialy dlia zhizneopisaniia akad. Ia. K. Grota. St. Petersburg, 1912.
Pamiati akad. la. K. Grota: 1812–1893. St. Petersburg, 1913.
Vinogradov. V. V. “’Russkaia nauka o russkom literaturnom iazyke.” Uch. zap. MGU, 1946, issue 106. vol. 3. book 1.
Tseitlin, R. M. Kratkii ocherk istorii russkoi leksikografii. Moscow, 1958. Chapter 7.

R. M. TSEITLIN