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The Index Verborum is a reference guide that accesses over 323 German writings of Martin Luther, from the critical historical period of 1516 through 1525. The sources of the data represented in the Index Verborum are from: D. MARTIN LUTHERS WERKE (Weimarer Ausgabe) , 1964 through 1966 printings by the Hermann Böhlaus Nachfolger, Weimar, printed in Graz, Austria.

         It is however noted that the index format utilized in the Index Verborum conforms in general to other basic word indices, for instance Heinrich J. Vogel’s Cross Reference and Index to the Contents of Luther’s Works (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 1983), with its listing of source titles and locus data.  Although that work is not as extensive as the Index Verborum, the interrelation of Index Verborum data to other cross-referenced Luther editions in Vogel, or other similar indices will provide an extension of its value for research.

This searchable database will facilitate scholars' ability to rapidly ascertain locations of specific words in original text sources. This will allow ready access to Luther's linguistic or contextual usage, and hence enable analysis of his original meaning or intent.

Index Compilation and Presentation

The words in this index were excerpted from the following volumes of the Weimar Edition: 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 10/1a, 10/1b, 10/2, 11, 12, 15, 17/2, and 18. 

 From an estimated three-quarters of a million words representing 323 individual writings, the volume, page, and line are given for each separate word listed. The handling of this mass of data necessitated some selection for the alphabetic listing. Full locus information for articles, prepositions, auxiliary verbs and the like is not given. It is noted that words in Latin or other languages found in the selected texts have been excluded.

 Some modification in the orthography of words from the texts has also been made in the index presentation: all capital letters have been changed to lower case; superimposed letter symbols for inflection, such as oe, ue, or uo, are represented in side-by-side fashion, e.g. as in gewuost; the "ß" symbol has been altered to "ss" throughout, so that a combination such as masss may be found for masß. Verbs with separable prefixes will only be found identifiable as such in the index when they occurred in the unseparated form in the original texts.
 

Utilization of the Index

In terms of the reference utilization of the Index, the following are examples of some of the possibilities for research in the use of selected words with their locus data.

Words and their locus data are listed alphabetically on the index in columns.

In the following example of a generic Search the occurrence in the text of thirteen instances of the word abel is represented. The locus data following the word at the right of the columns represents "volume", "page" and "line". Thus in the example the first occurrence of abel in the text would be in volume 1, page 213, line 29. Two of the volumes referenced are to be found with an expanded representation, such as indicated in the example following the instances in volume 8. In that representation of volume numbers, 10/1a indicates volume 10, part 1, the first half. Following that, 10/1b will represent the second half of part 1 of volume 10, and 10/2 will represent volume 10, part 2.

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Displaying records 1 through 13 of 13 records found.

Word	Volume	Page	Line	Num on Line
abel	1	213	29
abel	6	353	11
abel	7	282	21
abel	7	435	18
abel	7	435	19
abel	7	799	25
abel	8	24	20
abel	8	229	20
abel	10/1a	121	1
abel	10/1b	73	8
abel	10/2	166	23
abel	18	30	4
abel	18	523	18

Since only part 2 of volume 17 is referenced in the index, all indication for volume 17 will be found as 17/2 as in :

abdrueckt 17/2 313 37

If in the text any word is to be found more than once in any particular line, the number of these instances per line is represented in parentheses in the extreme right column following the line number. In this case, a total of two instances of the word occurs, both on line 37.

Example: 

Word	Volume	Page	Line	Num on Line
abbruechlich	8	542	37	(2)

The following is a sample of the user interface for Search by Volume. 

The following is an example of a Search by Volume result:

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Displaying records 1 through 4 of 4 records found:

Word	Volume	Page	Line	Num on Line
abel	7	282	21
abel	7	435	18
abel	7	435	19
abel	7	799	25

 

It is presumed that a theoretical user, whether a linguist, theologian, or Reformation historian, would be interested in the content of Martin Luther's 16th century writings where such words pertinent to the user had occurred.

In addition, it is assumed that the aim of the user is to arrive at the original meaning of the words intended by Martin Luther, in comparison to meaning, usage or orthography which has shifted with modern High German.

1. A first example can be seen in the examination of a simple word such as Licht, which basically does not depart from its modern form. However, the span of meaning in its use by Luther will be observed in the following three instances from the 43 total instances of the word listed in the Index:

a)licht, als Wort Gottes, (Index ref. v. 2-111-12) in "Auslegung deutsch Vaterunsers fur die einfaltigen Laien," written 1519.

Das heilige worth gottis hat vill namen in der Schrift... Es heyst ein licht, ein morgen regen, ein abend regen, ein hymlischer taw, Gold, silber, ertzney, cleyder, geschmuck and vill der gleychen.

b)licht, als Wahrheit, (index ref. v. 7-181-9) in "Warum des Papstes und seiner Junger Bucher von D. Martin Luther verbrannt sind," written 1520.

Nu ist yhe war, das die warheyt und gerechtigkeit nit schewet das gericht, ja nit lieberss hatt, denn licht lesssit sich gernn ansehen und probirnn.

c)licht, als Eigenschaft Gottes (Index ref. v. 12-310-20) in "Epistel S. Petri gepredigt und ausgelegt, Erste Bearbeitung, 1523.

Darumb ist ynn der schrift verfasset:
Ihr aber seyt das auserwelte geschlecht, das koeniglich priesterthumb, das heyglige volk des eigenthums, das yhr verkundigen sollt die tugent des, der euch beruffen hat von der finsternis zuo seynem wunderbarn licht.

2. A second example might consist of the desire of a researcher to determine the usage of the verb richten (e.g., verurteilen, bestraffen, Urteil fallen) by Luther, which can readily be determined from the following three examples taken from the 317 total instances of that verb listed in the Index.

a)richten, wie Gott Menschen richtet, (Index ref. v. 2-89-38) in "Ein Sermon von der Betrachung des heiligen Leistens Christi," written 1519.

Dan goth geburt alleyn zu richten, Wylle Christus sagt: Ir solt nit richten, das yr nith gerichtet werden.

b)richten, wie Menschen sich selbst richten sollen, (Index ref. v. 2-99-25) in the Sermon referenced above.

Richten wir uns selber und verclagen uns mit unseren eygenen worten, das wir gothe ungehorsam seind unnd seinen willen nit thun.

c)richten, wie der Pabst richtet (Index ref. v. 7-181-13) in "Sermon von der Geburt Christi, gepredigt am Christtag fruh," written 1520.

Aber der Bapst wil yderman die augen blenden, niemand richten lassen, sondern alleyn richtenn yderman, sso gar ungewiss und furchtsam ist er seiner sach und hendell.

3. Another example concerning Luther's original meaning can be seen by researching the use of the word Obrigkeit in Luther's writing compared to its modern concept of "official authorities, government." It is not to be found in its modern spelling, but variously in 179 different instances as oberkeyt, oberkait, oberkeit and ubirkeyt, all of which is of orthographic interest in itself. The consultation of but a few instances via the Index allows recognition of the difference of Luther's usage:

a)oberkeyt, als geistliche Obrigkeit, (Index ref. v. 10/1b-242-3) in "sommerpostille: Auslegung der Evangelion von Ostern bis auffs Advent, gepredigt durch Mart. Luther zu Wittenburg," written 1526.

Die Evangelium lernt uns von der oberkeyt, welch sie die geistliche oberkeyt nennen... das man sie ye nicht verachte, und wellen in der Gewalt Christo gleich sein und sich zu hoch empor haben.

b)oberkeyt, als weltiche Obrigkeit, (Index ref. v. 118-313-26) in "Ermahnung zum Frieden auf die zwolf Artikel der Bauerschaft in Schwaben," written 1525.

Es hat bapst und Keyser widden mich gesetzt und getobet. Num wo mit hab ichs dahyn bracht, das yhe mehr Bapst und Keyer tobet haben, yhe mehr meyn Evangelion fort ist gangen? Ich habe nie keyn Schwerd gezuckt, noch rache begerd... sondern der weltlichen oberkeyt, auch die, so das Evangelion und mich verfolget, yhr gewallt und ihre helffen verteydingen, so viel ich vermocht.

c)oberkeyt, als weltliche Obrigkeit, (Index ref. v. 15-302-36) in "Von Kaufshandlung und Wucher," written 1524.

Denn Christen sind brueder, und eyner lest den andern nicht... Aber wo nicht Christen sind, da soll die weltliche oberkeyt treyben, das der bezale was er geborget hat.