CABATON, Antoine. Nérondes (Cher) 11.12.1863 — Vannes, Brittany 25.11.1942. French Physician and a Scholar of South-East Asia and Indonesia. Grew up in Paris and Orléans. Studies of pharmacy, then, after military service (1884-86), of medicine (Dr.med.), also of Sanskrit at É.P.H.É. (Lévi) and Egyptology at École du Louvre. Worked in Bibliothèque nationale from 1897, 1898 to South-East Asia as Finot’s secretary, visited Cham country, Java and Cambodia, learned Cham and Malay. Thus he was member of É.F.E.O. from its beginning, but had to retire because of health problems. Back in France in 1901 worked again in the library, from 1907 chargé de cours and from 1917 Professor of Malay at É.L.O.V. in Paris, retired 1933. In the 1920s also taught at École coloniale. Légion d’honneur 1920. He became also known as a specialist of the Cham language, of Indonesian sociology and of Spanish sources on South-East Asia. Married 1901 Lucie Camus, one child. In retirement lived in Nice with his married daughter, then in Vannes. Among his students was Demiéville.
Publications: Catalogue sommaire des manuscrits sanscrits et palis de la Bibliothèque Nationale. ??+195 p. P. 1907-08 (manuscript?); Catalogue sommaire des manuscrits indiens, indo-chinois et malayo-polynésiens. 2+319 p. P. 1912.
– Les Indes néerlandaises. 382 p. P. 1909, English transl. 1911; numerous articles on South-East Asia, e.g. “Raden Paku, Sunande Giri. Legende musulmane javanaise, texte et trad.”, RHR 54, 1906, 374-400.
– Several books on the Cham.
Sources: Cent-cinquantenaire de l’É.L.O.V. 1948, 166; D. Lombard, “Un grand précurseur: A.C. (1863–1942)”, Aechipel 26, 1983, 17-24 with photo; Chercheurs d’Asie with photo; P. Singaravélou, D.O.L.F. 163; French Wikipédia.
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