Adolf Tobler
Adolf Tobler (24 May 1835 – 18 March 1910) was a Swiss-German linguist and a philologist. Adolf Tobler was born in Hirzel in Zürich, Switzerland, he was a brother to linguist Ludwig Tobler (1827–1895). Tobler died in Berlin, Germany.
Adolf Tobler
![Adolf Tobler. Aufnahme von Rudolph Dührkoop, um 1900. [1]. Brustbild nach halbrechts, Kopf nach vorn; Tobler an einem Schreibtisch sitzend mit einem aufgeschlagenen Buch vor ihm liegend.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/Duehrkoop_-_Adolf_Tobler.jpg/800px-Duehrkoop_-_Adolf_Tobler.jpg)
Rudolf Dührkoop · Porträtsammlung Berliner Hochschullehrer, Bilddokument 11321 · Public domain
- Name
- Adolf Tobler
- Born
- 24 May 1835
- Birthplace
- Hirzel, Zürich, Switzerland
- Died
- 18 March 1910
- Place of death
- Berlin, Germany
- Nationality
- Switzerland · Kingdom of Prussia
- Occupation
- linguist · philologist · university teacher · romanist · writer
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Adolf Tobler (24 May 1835 – 18 March 1910) was a Swiss-German linguist and a philologist. Adolf Tobler was born in Hirzel in Zürich, Switzerland, he was a brother to linguist Ludwig Tobler (1827–1895). Tobler died in Berlin, Germany.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Adolf Tobler. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q13245 · wikipedia · Adolf Tobler
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Adolf Tobler • Born — 24 May 1835 • Birthplace — Hirzel, Zürich, Switzerland • Died — 18 March 1910 • Place of death — Berlin, Germany • Relatives — Ludwig Tobler (brother)
Education and work-life
Education and work-life
He studied Romance philology at the universities of Zürich and Bonn, receiving his doctorate in 1857. At Bonn, he was influenced by the teachings of Friedrich Christian Diez and Nicolaus Delius. After graduation, he worked as a schoolteacher at the Solothurn cantonal school, and then at the gymnasium in Bern. In 1867, he relocated to the University of Berlin, where, from 1871 up until his death, he held the chair of Romance philology. In 1890–91, he served as the university rector. The "Tobler-Mussafia law", a grammatical rule applicable to Romance languages, is named after Tobler and the Austrian philologist Adolf Mussafia.
Career and activity
Career and activity
He was employed by Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He belonged to Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Gothenburg, Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Academy of Sciences of Turin and Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.

Salomon Tobler 1794-1875 mit Sohn Adolf Tobler, Ölbild von Ed. Steiner, Museum Winterthur
Ölbild von Ed. Steiner, Museum Winterthur · Die Familie Tobler von Zürich / 1626-1926. Eine historische Studie verfasst von Werner Ganz. Als Manuskript gedruckt / Zürich 1928. Tafel XIV Salomon Tobler 1794-1875 mit seinem Sohne Adolf, Ölbild v

Professor Dr. Adolf Tobler
Photographer not credited · ebay
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1835
Adolf Tobler was born in 1835.
1910
Adolf Tobler died at Berlin.
Published works
Among his better-written efforts was the five-volume Vermischte Beiträge zur französischen Grammatik ("Miscellaneous contributions to French grammar";1886–1912). His creation of an Old French dictionary was unfinished at the time of his death, being posthumously edited and published by Erhard Lommatzsch ("Tobler-Lommatzsch", Altfranzösisches Wörterbuch; 11 volumes). Other noted works by Tobler include: • Gedichte von Jehan de Condet nach der casanatensischen Handschrift, 1860 – Poems by Jean de Condé according to the Casanatensian manuscript. • Aus der Chanson de geste von Auberi nach einer vaticanischen Handschrift, 1870 – From the Chanson de geste of Auberi, according to a Vatican manuscript. • Li dis dou vrai aniel. Die Parabel von dem ächten Ringe, Französische Dichtung des dreizehnten Jahrhunderts, 1871 – Li dis dou vrai aniel. The parable of the true ring, French poetry of the 13th century. • Vom französischen Versbau alter und neuer Zeit. Zusammenstellung der Anfangsgründe, 1880 – On French versification of old and modern times.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q13245: Adolf Tobler
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Adolf Tobler”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
- Tobler, Adolf (1835–1910), Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics, 2006
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2006
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Die kleine Enzyklopädie, Encyclios-Verlag, Zürich, 1950, Band 2, Seite 762.
- 2.StA Charlottenburg I, Sterbeurkunde Nr. 170/1910
- 3.Ingrid Bigler-Marschall. 2012-01-24. 2019-06-13.
- 4.Mitglieder – historisch: Adolf Tobler.
- 5.I Soci del passato: Adolf Tobler.
- 6.Mitglieder seit 1663.
- 7.Professor Adolf Tobler †. In: Berliner Tageblatt, 18. März 1910, Abend-Ausgabe, S. 2–3.
- 8.Hans-Jürgen Mende: Lexikon Berliner Begräbnisstätten. Pharus-Plan, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-86514-206-1, S. 481.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Verifiedreference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Formation and teaching. Tobler studied at University of Bonn and University of Zurich. The record notes the qualification doctorate. He trained under Friedrich Christian Diez and Nicolaus Delius.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,960 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Adolf PaulAuthor
- Adolf RudnickiAuthor
- Adolf SternAuthor
- Adolf StrodtmannAuthor
- Adolf WilbrandtAuthor
- Adolfas MekasAuthor
- Adolfo BalliviánAuthor
- Adolfo CaminhaAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Adolf Tobler?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.