Editing Rasmus Rask (section)

==Early life==
Rask was born to Niels Hansen Rasch and Birthe Rasmusdatter in the village of Brændekilde near [[Odense]] on the Danish island of [[Funen]]. His father, a [[smallholding|smallholder]] and tailor, was well-read and had a decently-sized book collection. As a child, Rask's scholastic abilities became apparent, and, in 1801, at the age of thirteen, he was sent to the [[Latin school]] in Odense, now known as the Odense Katedralskole. One of his friends from Latin school, Niels Matthias Petersen (1791–1862), who went on to be the first professor of [[North Germanic languages|Nordic languages]] at the University of Copenhagen, later remarked that "His short stature, his lively eyes, the ease with which he moved and jumped over tables and benches, his unusual knowledge, and even his quaint peasant dress, attracted the attention of his fellow students".<ref name="Nielsen">{{cite journal|last=Nielsen|first=Hans Frede|date=2008|title=Rasmus Kristian Rask (1787-1832): Liv og levned|trans-title=Rasmus Kristian Rask (1787-1832): His life|language=Danish|url=http://www.sdu.dk/~/media/Files/Om_SDU/Institutter/ISK/Forskningspublikationer/Rask/Rask%2028/Hans%20Frede%20Nielsen%20er%20frdigbehandlet2542.pdf|journal=Rask|publisher=Syddansk Universitet|volume=28|pages=25–42|access-date=2 July 2016}}</ref> At the Latin school, Rask's interest in [[Old Norse]] and [[Icelandic language]] and [[Icelandic literature|literature]] was awakened. His teacher, Jochum E. Suhr, loaned him a copy of [[Snorri Sturluson]]'s ''[[Heimskringla]]'' in Icelandic, and the rector, Ludvig Heiberg, gave him a new translation of the same work as a prize for his diligence. By comparing the original work and the translation, he was able to make an Icelandic vocabulary, cross-referencing the Icelandic words with cognates in [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]], [[German language|German]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and [[English language|English]]. In addition to Danish and [[Latin]], Rask studied [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[French language|French]] and German at Odense. An interest in [[orthography]] also led Rask to develop his own spelling system for Danish that more closely resembled its pronunciation, and it was at this time that he changed the spelling of his last name from "Rasch" to "Rask".