Irmengard Rauch (April 17, 1933 – January 9, 2025) was an American

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of language. The areas of linguistic analysis are syntax (rules governing the structure of sentences), semantics (meaning), Morphology (linguistics), morphology (structure of words), phonetics (speech sounds ...

and

semiotician Semiotics ( ) is the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning. In semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that communicates intentional and unintentional meaning or feelings to the sign's interpreter. Semiosis is an ...

Biography

Rauch was professor emeritus of Germanic Linguistics at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

, where she held a position in the Department of German from 1982 until her retirement in 2021. She completed her undergraduate work at the

University of Dayton The University of Dayton (UD) is a Private university, private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary (Marianists), Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the U ...

, took an M.A. degree from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

, and earned her PhD from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

in 1962. Her dissertation was published by Mouton in 1967 under the title, ''The Old High German Diphthongization: a description of a phonemic change''. She held positions at the

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United ...

(1968–82); the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...

(1966–68); the Univ. of Wisconsin (1962–66) before coming to Berkeley. Rauch was the editor of the book series Berkeley Insights in Linguistics and Semiotics; Berkeley Models of Grammars; Studies in Old Germanic Languages and Literatures; co-editor of the Interdisciplinary Journal for Germanic Linguistics and Semiotic Analysis. She died on January 9, 2025, at the age of 91.

Honors and recognition

*2011 Eighth Thomas A. Sebeok Fellow (

Semiotic Society of America The Semiotic Society of America is the major and leading semiotics organization in North America, serving scholars from many disciplines with common interests in semiotics, the study of signs and sign systems. It was founded in 1975. Its official j ...

) *1998 Festschrift: '' Interdigitations: Essays for Irmengard Rauch'' *1996 Honorary Member, American Association of Teachers of German *1994 President, Fifth Congress of the IASS *1985 Distinguished Alumnus Award, University of Dayton *1982

Guggenheim Fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated d ...

*1981–83 President,

*Life Member, Modern Language Association, Linguistic Society of America

Selected works

Author

*''The Old High German Diphthongization: A Description of a Phonemic Change''. ''Janua Linguarum'', Series Practica XXXVI. The Hague: Mouton. 1967. evised dissertation*''Der Heliand.

Wege der Forschung ''Wege der Forschung'' (WdF, ''Ways of Research'') is the name of a historic interdisciplinary book series about topics of humanities, first published by Hermann Gentner Verlag in Bad Homburg, later by Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft in Da ...

'' CCCXXI. Co-ed. J. Eichhoff. Introduction, I. Rauch and J. Eichhoff, . Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1973. *''The Old Saxon Language: Grammar, Epic Narrative, Linguistic Interference''. New York:

Peter Lang Publishing Peter Lang is an academic publisher specializing in the humanities and social sciences. It has its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, with offices in Berlin, Brussels, Chennai, New York, and Oxford. Peter Lang publishes over 1,100 academic t ...

, 1992. *''The Gothic Language: Grammar, Genetic Provenance and Typology, Readings''. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2003. *''The Phonology / Paraphonology Interface and the Sounds of German across Time''. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2008. *''The Gothic Language: Grammar, Genetic Provenance and Typology, Readings''. (2nd ed.) New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2011. *''The Phonology/Paraphonology Interface and the Sounds of German across Time.'' New York: Peter Lang Publishing. 2011. *''BAG — Bay Area German Linguistic Fieldwork Project''. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2015. *''Selected Writings of Irmengard Rauch'', ed. G.F. Carr. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2019.

Editor

*Editor: ''Approaches in Linguistic Methodology''. Co-ed. C. T. Scott. Introduction, I. Rauch and C. T. Scott, pp. 3–8. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. 1967. ranslated as ''Estudios de metodologia linguistica'', (trans. into Spanish by M. L. Guillen). Madrid: Editorial Gredos, 1974.*Editor: ''Linguistic Method: Essays in Honor of

Herbert Penzl Herbert Penzl (September 2, 1910 in Neufelden, Austria – September 1, 1995 in Oakland, California), was an Austrian-born American philologist and historical linguist. He studied English Philology under Karl Luick at the University of Vienna whe ...

''. Co-ed. Gerald F. Carr. "Introduction: Linguistic Method, A Matter of Principle," I. Rauch, pp. 19–23 Janua Linguarum, Series Major 79 The Hague: Mouton, 1979. *Editor: ''The Signifying Animal: The Grammar of Language and Experience''. Co-ed. G.F. Carr. Bloomington: The Indiana University Press, 1980. *Editor: ''Language Change''. Co-ed. G. F. Carr. Preface I. Rauch, pp. vii-x. Bloomington: The Indiana University Press, 1983. *Editor: ''The Semiotic Bridge: Trends from California''. Co-ed. G.F.Carr. Berlin:

Mouton de Gruyter Walter de Gruyter GmbH, known as De Gruyter (), is a German scholarly publishing house specializing in academic literature. History The roots of the company go back to 1749 when Frederick the Great granted the Königliche Realschule in Be ...

, 1989. *Editor: ''

The American Journal of Semiotics ''The American Journal of Semiotics'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering semiotics. It was established in 1981 and is the official journal of the Semiotic Society of America. The journal publishes articles, responses or comments, and crit ...

'', vol. 9, no.4 (1992), co-ed. G.F.Carr. *Editor: ''On Germanic Linguistics: Issues and Methods''. Co-ed. G. F. Carr and R. Kyes. Preface I. Rauch, pp. v-vi Trends in Linguistics 68Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter,. 1992. *Editor: ''Insights in Germanic Linguistics I. Methodology in Transition''. Co-ed. G. F. Carr. Trends in Linguistics, vol 83. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1995. *Editor: ''Insights in Germanic Linguistics II. Classic and Contemporary''. Co-ed. G.F. Carr. Trends in Linguistics 94. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1996. *Editor: ''Across the Oceans. Studies from East to West in Honor of Richard K. Seymour''. Co-ed. Cornelia Moore. "Introduction: Across Cultures, Across Disciplines," I Rauch, xvii-xix. Honolulu: University of Hawaii, 1995. *Editor: ''Semiotics Around the World: Synthesis in Diversity. Proceedings of the Fifth Congress of the IASS'', Berkeley, California, June 12–18, 1994. Vols I & II. Co-ed. G.F. Carr. Berlin:

, 1996. *Editor: ''Semiotic Insights: The Data Do the Talking''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1998. *Editor: ''New Insights in Germanic Linguistics I''. Co-ed G.F. Carr. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 1999. *Editor: ''New Insights in Germanic Linguistics II''. Co-ed G. F. Carr. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2001. *Editor: ''New Insights in Germanic Linguistics III''. Co-ed G.F. Carr. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2002.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rauch, Irmengard 1933 births 2025 deaths Linguists from the United States University of Michigan alumni University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of German faculty University of California, Berkeley Department of German faculty American women linguists People from Dayton, Ohio Presidents of the Semiotic Society of America American Germanists