Paul Perny and the Learning of the Chinese Language: A Study of his Dictionnaire français-latin-chinois de la langue mandarine parlée as Part of a Whole Teaching Method

Abstract

This paper defends the idea that the Dictionnaire français-latin-chinois de la langue mandarine parlée (1869), written by French clergyman Paul Perny, represents a groundbreaking work within the French to Chinese multilingual lexicography based on its strong communicative stance. It outlines the relationship between Perny’s work and the sinological tradition initiated by the Jesuits in China, and further analyzes the dictionary’s organizational structure, including the nature of its lexical inventory. It is noteworthy that this dictionary features a large number of terms belonging to the Catholic religion, even though it is possible to identify a significant and systematic presence of vocabulary specific to pagan Chinese tradition. The Dictionnaire français-latin-chinois de la langue mandarine parlée also stands out for including the vocabulary of modern Chinese along with numerous expressions and terms related to Chinese culture which enable a closer understanding of the Chinese cultural universe