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Glite Dictionary
festschrift

festschrift

1 9.9
A book of essays written to honor a scholar for retirement or an anniversary
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛstˌʃrɪft/
  • Jargon
: festschrift
  • The trajectory his career has followed from generative syntax and semantics to poetics is a wide path, and to truly do it justice in a Festschrift would be a much greater task than we have attempted here.
  • Festschrift für
  • Festschrift honoring

Examples

  • One especially valuable motivation for an edited collection is the festschrift model, the honoring of a distinguished scholar on the occasion of a retirement in the form of a volume of essays by friends, students, and colleagues.

    Academic text (2016)

  • The university published a festschrift to celebrate the achievements of its longtime chancellor.

  • We are grateful for the opportunity, and we hope we have given them the credit and honor that is their due in this Festschrift.

    Academic text (2007)

  • His scientific work has been recognized by many honorary degrees and six festschrifts in his honor.

    Blog text (19)

  • The essays, notes, and poetry in this volume were originally assembled as a birthday Festschrift for John Robert (Hj) Ross, Professor of English at the University of North Texas.

    Academic text (2006)

  • Walter Kasper, serving at the time as bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, published in a 1999 Festschrift honoring Bishop Josef Homeyer a chapter on the theology and praxis of the bishop with special reference to the relation of the local bishop to the universal Church.

    Academic text (2002)

  • In 1989, the African Studies Center at UCLA, in collaboration with Crossroads Press/ASA, brought out the two-volume festschrift for J. H. Kwabena Nketia, African Musicology: Current Trends.

    Academic text (1996)

  • This volume includes multiple essays and tributes, making it a fitting festschrift for the retired professor.

  • As a tribute to their mentor, the students compiled a festschrift filled with academic papers and letters.

Surface Forms

festschrift singular
festschriften plural

Etymology

Festschrift comes from the German parts fest ('celebration') and schrift ('writing'), like the English words festival and script. So a festschrift is a book of writings put together to celebrate and honor a scholar, often for an important anniversary or on retirement.