BURNOUF, Jean-Louis. Urville near Valognes 14.9.1775 — Paris 8.5.1844. French Classical Scholar interested in Sanskrit. Professor in Paris. Father of —> E. Burnouf. One of the 8 children of a poor weaver, lost early his father. In 1793 matriculated from the collège of Harcourt, without means had to work as a printer in Dieppe, then in a recruiting office. Came to Paris as an assistant of a merchant, now began to study Greek and German during his free hours. Translated Tacitus. From 1808 teacher at Lycée Charlemagne, 1810 professeur de rhétorique there. In 1811-22 maître de conferences in the newly founded École normale. From 1817 professeur de l’éloquence latine at Collège de France, until 1844 (succeeded by —> Ad. Regnier). He became interested in common points between Greek and Sanskrit conjugation and attended Chézy’s lectures. From 1838? inspecteur général des études de l’académie de Paris. From 1840 bibliothécaire en chef de l’université. 1836 member of the A.I.B.L. Married Marie Geneviève Chavarin.
Publications: Méthode pour étudier la langue grecque. 1813-14 and many editions; Méthode pour étudier la langue latine. 12+355 p. P. 1840-41 and many editions; Essai sur l’art de traduire. 1827; other works on classical philology.
– Edited & transl. Tacite: Œuvres. 1-6. P. 1827-33; edited: Salluste. P. 1821; translated several works of Cicero.
– Latin translation (11 p.) in: Yaj’n’adattabad’a ou La Mort d’Yajnadatta, épisode extrait du Ramâyana, donné avec le texte … trad. … par A. L. Chézy, et suivi par forme d’appendice d’une traduction latine littérale par J. L. Burnouf. P. 1826.
– L. Delisle (ed.), Souvenirs de jeunesse, 1792-1796. 45 p. Nogent-le-Rotrou 1888.
Sources: *E. Burnouf in his Histoire du Bouddhisme. P. 1844, xxxiiid.; *A. Morel, Éloge de J.-L. B. 58 p. Caen 1847; *Naudet, “Notice sur la vie et les ouvrages de MM. Burnouf, père et fils”, MAIBL 20:1, 1861, 285-337; M. Prévost, D.B.F. 7, 1956, 704; French Wikipédia.
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