Jakob Joseph Matthys
Jakob Joseph Matthys (the family name is also spelled Mathis and Mathys; born 12 December 1802 in Oberrickenbach, municipality of Wolfenschiessen; died 9 March 1866 in Stans) was a Catholic priest who served as chaplain in Niederrickenbach for about 15 years and as chaplain in Dallenwil for about 20 years. Primarily in his first position, which by far did not fill him, he dealt with at least 37 foreign languages as well as a now forgotten planned language. He wrote his own biography in 1844 in 35 languages, including the native dialect and the native written language. When Matthys learned in 1862 of the project for the Schweizerisches Idiotikon that had just begun, he worked out a monumental Nidwalden dictionary - a folio of 611 closely written pages - as well as an 89-page dialect grammar despite illness and sent both to Zurich. The dictionary is still one of the most important Nidwalden sources of the Idiotikon editorial staff, and the grammar is of importance in the history of science.