Jan Chojnan (german: Johannes Choinan, latin: Johannes Choinanus) (1616-1664)[1] was a Sorbian linguist and theologian. He had written the oldest known grammar of the Lower Sorbian language and that was a milestone for the creation of the modern Lower Sorbian standard literary language.[2] In the midst of the seventeenth century he used to work as a lutheran priest in Zerkwitz [de] (Lower Sorbian: Cerkwica) near Lübbenau (Lower Sorbian: Lubnjow) where he had created his major work.[3] The Lower Sorbian grammar written in 1650 was based on the dialect spoken in the vicinity of the Cottbus (Lower Sorbian: Chóśebuz) town.[4][5] Chojnan was also the first known Lower Sorbian author who used simile in the Lower Sorbian literature. There is a commemorative plaque placed in the niche of his church in Zerkwitz (nowadays part of the Lübbenau) and also the street named after him.[5]
^Choinanus, (Joh.). In: Christian Gottlieb Jöcher (Hrsg.): Compendiöses Gelehrten-Lexicon … 2. Auflage. Band 1: A–L. Johann Friedrich Gleditsch, Leipzig 1726, Sp. 630 (Textarchiv – Internet Archive).
^Ján Kollár: Wýklad čili Přjmětky a Wyswětliwky ku Sláwy Dceře. Pest 1832, S. 340–341 (Digitalisat)
^ Otto Fischer: Evangelisches Pfarrerbuch für die Mark Brandenburg. Band 2: Verzeichnis der Geistlichen in alphabetischer Reihenfolge. Mittler, Berlin 1941, S. 122
^Ernst Eichler (Herausgeber): Slawistik in Deutschland von den Anfängen bis 1945. Domowina-Verlag, Bautzen 1993, ISBN 3-7420-1538-9, S. 86
^ abFrido Mětšk: Chojnan, Jan. In: Nowy biografiski słownik. Ludowe nakładnistwo Domowina, Budyšin 1984, S. 209
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