born Nov. 22, 1787, Braendekilde, Den.
died Nov. 14, 1832, Copenhagen
Danish linguist.
A scholar of Indo-European languages , he was a principal founder of the science of comparative linguistics. His observation that sound shifts between corresponding words in Germanic and other Indo-European languages followed predictable patterns was the basis of a fundamental law of linguistics later enunciated by Jacob Grimm (Grimm's law). Rask also carried out extensive research on Old Norse , publishing his Investigation of the Origin of the Old Norse or Icelandic Language in 1818. By the end of his life he had mastered 25 languages and dialects.