Adolf Holtzmann (2 May 1810 in Karlsruhe – 3 July 1870 in Heidelberg) was a German professor and philologist. His name is associated with a Proto-Germanic sound law known as Holtzmann's law.

He studied theology at the University of Halle and the Friedrich Wilhelm University of Berlin, where he was a student of Friedrich Schleiermacher. He later studied philology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, where his influences included Johann Andreas Schmeller. Holtzmann also attended classes at the University of Paris given by Eugène Burnouf, and beginning in 1837, spent a number of years working as a tutor to members of Baden royalty.ADB:Holtzmann, Adolf at Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie From 1852, he was a professor of German literature and Sanskrit at Heidelberg University, and a notable philologist of his day.

Holtzmann was the father-in-law of Albrecht Kossel, German biochemist and 1910 Nobel laureate, by his marriage to Holtzmann's daughter, Luise, in 1886.

Selected works Ueber den griechischen Ursprung des indischen Thierkreises, 1841 – On the Greek origin of the Indian zodiac. Über den Umlaut. Zwei Abhandlungen, 1843 – On umlaut: two treatises. Über den Ablaut, 1844 – On ablaut. Beiträge zur Erklärung der persischen Keilinschriften, 1845 – Contributions to the explanation of Persian cuneiform inscriptions. Indische Sagen, 1st part 1845 and 3rd part 1847 (2nd ed. in two volumes 1854) – Indian legends. Untersuchungen über das Nibelungenlied, 1854 – Investigations of the "Nibelungenlied". Kelten und Germanen. Eine historische Untersuchung, 1855 – Celts and Germans, a historical study. Der große Wolfdieterich, 1865 – Wolfdietrich. Altdeutsche Grammatik, umfassend die gotische, altnordische, altsächsische Sprache, 1870-75 (with Alfred Holder) – Old Germanic grammar; spanning Gothic, Old Norse and Old Saxon. Germanische Alterthümer. Mit Text, Übersetzung und Erklärung von Tacitus Germania, 1873 – Germanic antiquities with text, translation and explanation of Tacitus' "Germania". Deutsche Mythologie, 1874 (edited by Alfred Holder; published posthumously) – German mythology.Most widely held works by Adolf Holtzmann WorldCat Identities

See also Holtzmann's law

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