Vuk Stelanovitch Karajitch, a Servian scholar, born Nov. 7, 1787, died in February, 1864. He was educated in Carlovitz, and in the war for Servian independence served as secretary to various national chiefs, most of whom were ignorant of the art of writing, and also as secretary of the national senate at Belgrade. When Servia was left to the mercy of the sultan by the treaty of Bucharest, Karajitch sought refuge in Austria (1813). He collected the popular songs of the Illyrian tongue, travelling for the purpose in Bosnia and Montenegro, and published Narodne srpske pjesme ("Popular Serb Songs," 4 vols., Vienna, 1814-'33; 3d ed. enlarged, 1841-6). They were translated by "Talvj " (Mrs. Robinson, Volkslieder der Ser-ben, Halle, 1825-'6), and by Bowring (" Servian Popular Poetry," London, 1827). Karajitch also published a Serb grammar (translated by Jacob Grimm), a Serbo-German dictionary, a literary almanac under the title of Danitza ("Dawn," 1826-'34), a collection of "Serb Popular Proverbs," and another of " Serb Popular Tales." He was a member of the academies of Gottingen, Berlin, and Vienna, and the university of Jena conferred upon him the degree of doctor of philosophy.

The Russian government bestowed on him a pension and other honors.