József Engel de Szepeslőcse – Linguist and Physician

Abstract

Abstract József Engel (1807–1870) originates from an intellectual family from the Northern part of Hungary, he got to Marosvásárhely (Târgu Mureş) due to family relations. There he was assistant in the Golden Deer Pharmacy. Later he graduated the theoretical course of Chemistry at the Pest University. His thesis was printed. Then he studied medicine at the same university between 1830 and 1836. He wrote his thesis about the measles (De Morbilis). Meanwhile studying at Pest he got interested in Hungarian linguistics. He elaborated a study on the stem words of the Hungarian language which won a competition of the Hungarian Academy of Science. Engel was a much appreciated general practitioner at Marosvásárhely. The famous mathematician, János Bolyai was also his patient. He subscribed to German medical journals, collected plants and minerals. But his major interest was linguistics. In the middle of the 1850-s there was a movement at Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca) to establish a Museum Society. Then Engel’s linguistic research work was rediscovered. Some articles were published about him and even a fragment of his work in progress got printed. In 1857 Engel moves to Kolozsvár to help the founding of the Transylvanian Museum Society and to finish his treatise. As a general practitioner he could hardly make his living. In 1859 the Hungarian Academy of Science elected him corresponding member. He finished his thesis in linguistics and sent it to the Academy as an inaugural address. It was presented, but not published. His conception was considered obsolete. He died quite forgotten at Kolozsvár. At the Academy Henrik Finály held a memorial speech upon his life and activity. His two sons and two grandsons continued the medical traditions.