Meaning & use
Festschriften
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“Festschriften” is a form of “Festschrift”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Books of essays by colleagues, students and friends, published to honor a respected scholar, often on a birthday or retirement.
Grammar: Plural form: Festschriften are rare in the sciences, but one Festschrift is common in the humanities.
Patterns
- Festschriften for someone
- Festschriften in honor of someone
Many senior historians receive Festschriften when they retire, with chapters written by former students.
The library keeps several Festschriften on its shelves, each dedicated to a famous linguist.
Festschriften often include articles that did not fit into regular journals.
Word forms
| singular | Festschrift |
|---|---|
| alternative plural | Festschrifts |
Common combinations
- contribute to Festschriften
- She contributed to several Festschriften over her career.
- edit Festschriften
- He edited Festschriften for two of his old professors.
- published as Festschriften
- The essays were published as Festschriften in the 1990s.
- Festschriften for retiring professors
- Festschriften for retiring professors are a long tradition in German universities.
- honorary Festschriften
- Honorary Festschriften can run to more than five hundred pages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- commemorative volumes
- Commemorative volumes can mark any event or person, while Festschriften honor a living scholar in particular.
- tribute books
- Tribute books are general and informal, but Festschriften are specifically scholarly collections of essays.
- edited collections
- Edited collections are volumes of essays by various authors on any theme, and not necessarily in honor of someone.
- homage volumes
- Homage volumes is a rarer, less established way to say Festschriften.
Word family
- Festschrift noun
- one such volume
- Festschrifts noun
- English plural of Festschrift
- fest noun
- borrowed German root meaning celebration
- memorial volume noun
- a similar book that honors someone who has died
Commonly confused: Festschriften or memorial volume?
Festschriften vs memorial volume
A memorial volume honors someone who has died, while a Festschrift usually honors a scholar who is still alive.
Practice
On her seventieth birthday, colleagues presented the professor with a book of essays written in her honor, known as a ______.
Choose one answer.
A Festschrift is a collection of essays honoring a scholar. A manifesto states political aims, and a pamphlet is just a short publication.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Festschriften”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.