Étienne Fourmont (23 June 1683 – 8 December 1745) was a French scholar and Orientalist who served as professor of Arabic at the Collège de France and published grammars on the Arabic, Hebrew, and Chinese languages.
Although Fourmont is remembered as a pioneering sinologist who did careful and influential work on the nature of Chinese characters, his legacy is significantly tarnished by the fact that he earned his early reputation by stealing the work of Arcadius Huang, whom he had helped catalog the royal sinological collection, and that he frequently plagiarized the works of other scholars.[1]
Born at Herblay near Argenteuil, he studied at the Collège Mazarin in Paris and afterwards in the Collège Montaigu where his attention was attracted to Oriental languages. Shortly after leaving the college he published a Traduction du commentaire du Rabbin Abraham A ben Esra sur l'Ecclésiaste.[2]
Chinese grammar by Étienne Fourmont.
In 1711 Louis XIV appointed Fourmont to assist Arcadius Huang, a Catholic Chinese convert, in cataloging the French royal collection of works in Chinese and compiling a Chinese dictionary. One day, Fourmont was discovered copying Huang's work, and after Huang's death there was suspicion that Fourmont had not given Huang adequate credit.[3] Huang died in 1716, and Fourmont immediately appropriated his work for himself.[4][5] He completed Huang's catalogue and published it in Paris in 1737 as Catalogus Codicum Manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Regiae (Royal Library Catalog of Manuscripts).[4] He also wrote Réflexions critiques sur les histoires des anciens peuples (1735), and several dissertations printed in the Memoires of the Academy of Inscriptions.[6] Fourmont's most notable work was his 1737 grammar of Chinese: Linguae Sinarum mandarinicae hieroglyphicae grammatical duplex patine et cum characteribus Sinensium. This work is simply a copy of Francisco Varo's earlier Chinese grammar, with the addition of Chinese characters.[1]
His brother, Michel Fourmont (1690–1746), was also a member of the Academy of Inscriptions, and professor of the Syriac language in the Royal College.
Selected worksedit
--, Les Racines De La Langue Latine, Mises En Vers François (Paris: Chez Pierre-Augustin Le Mercier, 1706)
--, Examen Pacifique De La Querelle De Madame Dacier Et De Monsieur De La Motte Sur Homere. (Paris: Chez Jacques Rollin, 1716). Reprinted: Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1971.
--, Meditationes Sinicae: In Quibus 1. Consideratur Linguae Philosophicae Atque Universalis Natura Qualis Esse, Aut Debeat, Aut Possit. : 2. Lingua Sinarum Mandarinica Tum in Hieroglyphis Tum in Monosyllabis Suis ... Ostenditur : 3. Datur Eorumdem Hieroglyphorum Ac Monosyllaborum Atque Inde Characterum Linguae Sinicae Omnium ... Lectio & Intellectio ... : 4. Idque Omne, Progressu a Libris Mere Europaeis (De Sinica Tamen) Ad Libros Mere Sinicos, Facto (Lutetiae Parisiorum: Chez Musier le Père ... Jombert ... Briasson ... Bullot ; ex typographia Bullot, 1737). GOOGLE BOOK
--, Lingua Sinarum Mandarinicae Hieroglyphicae Grammatica Duplex, Latine Et Cum Characteribus Sinensium. Item Sinicorum Regiae Bibliothecae Librorum Catalogus (Lutetia Parisorum, 1742). Download or view: Bayerische StaatsBibliotek digital
--, Joseph de Guignes, Michel-Ange-André Le Roux Deshauterayes, Jean Debure, Reflexions Sur L'origine, L'histoire Et La Succession Des Anciens Peuples, Chaldeens, Hebreux, Pheniciens, Egyptiens, Grecs, &C., Jusqu'au Tems De Cyrus Nouvelle Edition, Augmentée De La Vie De L'auteur, & D'une Table Alphabétique Des Matieres (A Paris, chez De Bure l'aîné, quai des Augustins, à l'Image S. Paul. M. DCC. XLVII., 1747).
^Cécile Leung. Etienne Fourmont, 1683–1745: Oriental and Chinese Languages in Eighteenth-Century France. (Leuven: Leuven University Press; Ferdinand Verbiest Foundation, Leuven Chinese Studies, 2002). ISBN9058672484. [1]
References and further readingedit
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Fourmont, Étienne". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 758.
App, Urs (2010). The Birth of Orientalism. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press., esp. "Fourmont's Dirty Little Secret" (pp. 191- 197).
Honey, David B. (2001). Incense at the Altar: Pioneering Sinologists and the Development of Classical Chinese Philology. American Oriental Series 86. New Haven, Connecticut: American Oriental Society. ISBN0-940490-16-1.,
Leung, Cécile (2002). Etienne Fourmont, 1683–1745 : Oriental and Chinese Languages in Eighteenth-Century France. (Leuven: Leuven University Press; Ferdinand Verbiest Foundation, Leuven Chinese Studies). ISBN9058672484. GOOGLEBOOK
Cordier, Henri (1886). Notes Pour Servir À L'histoire Des Études Chinoises En Europe, Jusqu'à L'époque De Fourmont L'aîné. Leiden?: Brill?.
January 01, 1970
Étienne, fourmont, june, 1683, december, 1745, french, scholar, orientalist, served, professor, arabic, collège, france, published, grammars, arabic, hebrew, chinese, languages, born, 1683, june, 1683herblay, oise, francedied8, december, 1745, 1745, aged, pari. Etienne Fourmont 23 June 1683 8 December 1745 was a French scholar and Orientalist who served as professor of Arabic at the College de France and published grammars on the Arabic Hebrew and Chinese languages Etienne FourmontBorn 1683 06 23 23 June 1683Herblay Val d Oise FranceDied8 December 1745 1745 12 08 aged 62 Paris FranceNationalityFrenchAlma materCollege MazarinScientific careerFieldsArabic Hebrew ChineseInstitutionsCollege de FranceChinese nameTraditional Chinese傅爾蒙TranscriptionsStandard MandarinHanyu PinyinFu Ermeng Although Fourmont is remembered as a pioneering sinologist who did careful and influential work on the nature of Chinese characters his legacy is significantly tarnished by the fact that he earned his early reputation by stealing the work of Arcadius Huang whom he had helped catalog the royal sinological collection and that he frequently plagiarized the works of other scholars 1 Contents 1 Life and career 2 Selected works 3 Footnotes 4 References and further readingLife and career editBorn at Herblay near Argenteuil he studied at the College Mazarin in Paris and afterwards in the College Montaigu where his attention was attracted to Oriental languages Shortly after leaving the college he published a Traduction du commentaire du Rabbin Abraham A ben Esra sur l Ecclesiaste 2 nbsp Chinese grammar by Etienne Fourmont In 1711 Louis XIV appointed Fourmont to assist Arcadius Huang a Catholic Chinese convert in cataloging the French royal collection of works in Chinese and compiling a Chinese dictionary One day Fourmont was discovered copying Huang s work and after Huang s death there was suspicion that Fourmont had not given Huang adequate credit 3 Huang died in 1716 and Fourmont immediately appropriated his work for himself 4 5 He completed Huang s catalogue and published it in Paris in 1737 as Catalogus Codicum Manuscriptorum Bibliothecae Regiae Royal Library Catalog of Manuscripts 4 He also wrote Reflexions critiques sur les histoires des anciens peuples 1735 and several dissertations printed in the Memoires of the Academy of Inscriptions 6 Fourmont s most notable work was his 1737 grammar of Chinese Linguae Sinarum mandarinicae hieroglyphicae grammatical duplex patine et cum characteribus Sinensium This work is simply a copy of Francisco Varo s earlier Chinese grammar with the addition of Chinese characters 1 He became professor of Arabic in the College de France in 1715 In 1713 he was elected a member of the Academy of Inscriptions in 1738 a member of the Royal Society of London and in 1742 a member of that of Berlin He died at Paris on 8 December 1745 His brother Michel Fourmont 1690 1746 was also a member of the Academy of Inscriptions and professor of the Syriac language in the Royal College Selected works edit Les Racines De La Langue Latine Mises En Vers Francois Paris Chez Pierre Augustin Le Mercier 1706 Examen Pacifique De La Querelle De Madame Dacier Et De Monsieur De La Motte Sur Homere Paris Chez Jacques Rollin 1716 Reprinted Geneva Slatkine Reprints 1971 Meditationes Sinicae In Quibus 1 Consideratur Linguae Philosophicae Atque Universalis Natura Qualis Esse Aut Debeat Aut Possit 2 Lingua Sinarum Mandarinica Tum in Hieroglyphis Tum in Monosyllabis Suis Ostenditur 3 Datur Eorumdem Hieroglyphorum Ac Monosyllaborum Atque Inde Characterum Linguae Sinicae Omnium Lectio amp Intellectio 4 Idque Omne Progressu a Libris Mere Europaeis De Sinica Tamen Ad Libros Mere Sinicos Facto Lutetiae Parisiorum Chez Musier le Pere Jombert Briasson Bullot ex typographia Bullot 1737 GOOGLE BOOK Lingua Sinarum Mandarinicae Hieroglyphicae Grammatica Duplex Latine Et Cum Characteribus Sinensium Item Sinicorum Regiae Bibliothecae Librorum Catalogus Lutetia Parisorum 1742 Download or view Bayerische StaatsBibliotek digital Joseph de Guignes Michel Ange Andre Le Roux Deshauterayes Jean Debure Reflexions Sur L origine L histoire Et La Succession Des Anciens Peuples Chaldeens Hebreux Pheniciens Egyptiens Grecs amp C Jusqu au Tems De Cyrus Nouvelle Edition Augmentee De La Vie De L auteur amp D une Table Alphabetique Des Matieres A Paris chez De Bure l aine quai des Augustins a l Image S Paul M DCC XLVII 1747 Footnotes edit a b Honey 2001 pp 20 21 Fourmont Etienne Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 10 11th ed 1911 p 758 Danielle Elisseeff Moi Arcade interprete du roi soleil edition Arthaud Paris 1985 a b Honey 2001 p 20 App 2010 pp 191 197 Cecile Leung Etienne Fourmont 1683 1745 Oriental and Chinese Languages in Eighteenth Century France Leuven Leuven University Press Ferdinand Verbiest Foundation Leuven Chinese Studies 2002 ISBN 9058672484 1 References and further reading edit nbsp This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Fourmont Etienne Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 10 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 758 App Urs 2010 The Birth of Orientalism Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania Press esp Fourmont s Dirty Little Secret pp 191 197 Honey David B 2001 Incense at the Altar Pioneering Sinologists and the Development of Classical Chinese Philology American Oriental Series 86 New Haven Connecticut American Oriental Society ISBN 0 940490 16 1 Leung Cecile 2002 Etienne Fourmont 1683 1745 Oriental and Chinese Languages in Eighteenth Century France Leuven Leuven University Press Ferdinand Verbiest Foundation Leuven Chinese Studies ISBN 9058672484 GOOGLEBOOK Authority Page WorldCat Cordier Henri 1886 Notes Pour Servir A L histoire Des Etudes Chinoises En Europe Jusqu a L epoque De Fourmont L aine Leiden Brill Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Etienne Fourmont amp oldid 1145168291, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
