Project Description
The LEI was founded by Prof. Dr. phil. Dr. h.c. mult. Max Pfister (✝). Its task is to place the vocabulary of Italoromania in a whole Romansh context. Starting from the etymon, the linguistic history of each individual word is researched, taking into account linguistic-geographical and socio-cultural contexts.
The underlying conception corresponds to that of Walther von Wartburg as presented in the French etymological dictionary (FEW) for Gallo-Romance (written language and dialects).
The Saarbrücken office is supported by several Italian part-time editors. Approximately 30 volumes are planned.
On the occasion of his state visit to Germany, the Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi awarded the Swiss-born and Mainz Academician Max Pfister a high state distinction in Berlin on 30 March 2006.