I have also received, since the first appearance of my work, encouragement in various ways, even from anonymous and unknown readers of this book, who have made communications to the author respecting dialectic, etymological, and other pertinent facts. Much of it has proved useful for the new edition. Moreover, all reasonable objections of critics have been duly considered. In particular points the book has gained much by the notices of Herren Birlinger, Franck, and Hager; and a detailed, critical letter of my Swedish friends, Prof. A. Noreen and Dr. E. Brate, has placed in the most liberal manner at my disposal numerous valuable improvements and new combinations. For dialectic communications I am indebted to Herren W. Gordack of Königsberg and F. Holthausen of Göttingen, and especially to Prof. Hermann Fischer of Tübingen, who gave me access to his rich stores of Swabian dialectic materials. For the Jewish-German words which the book contains Prof. Euting of Strassburg placed materials at my disposal. Valuable connecting details, for which I had to resort to the liberal help of specialists, I owe to Herren K. von Bahder, O. von Böhtlingk, P. von Bradke, B. ten Brink, K. Brugmann, S. Bugge, C. Cappeller, H. Fischer, W. Franz, F. Holthausen, A. Horning, H. Hübschmann, R. Köhler, Th. Nöldeke, K. Schorbach, O. Schrader, R. Thurneysen, B. Wheeler, and E. Windisch.
I have been especially helped and cheered by the liberal sympathy of Professors A. Leskien of Leipzig, W. Meyer of Jena, H. Osthoff of Heidelberg, and E. Sievers of Halle. They have with praiseworthy liberality made over to me for publication very many new investigations of importance, and have also, by their corrections, objections, and retrenchments, given to many articles a greater fulness and completeness.
For the careful extension and completion of the old Index, the author is much indebted to Herr Vincent Janssen of Kiel, who will very shortly publish independently complete Indexes to this book.
For all the stimulus and sympathy, help and encouragement, I have received in the old as well as in the new edition, I beg to express my most sincere thanks.
Strassburg, July 1883.
Jena, October 1888.
