Pontoppidan, Erik Eriksen

Pontoppidan, Erik Eriksen also called Ponfoppidan the Elder, a Norwegian prelate, was born in 1616 at Broby (town-bridge =pons oppidanus), in Fihlen, in Denmark, from which he took his Latin name. He was for many years minister in Kjoge, but afterwards became bishop of the Trondhjem diocese in Norway. For his many Latin poems he had the honor of being crowned poet by the old Westhof. who had himself been crowned poet in Germany. Pontoppidan's funeral sermons are very famous. But what especially entitles him to an honorable name in history is his Danish Grammar, which was published in 1668, while he was still minister at Kjoge. It was the first Danish grammar ever published. He died in 1678. See Barfod, Fortcellinger, p. 542. (R.B.A.)