FAURIEL, Claude. Saint-Étienne (Loire) 21.10.1772 — Paris 14/15.7.1844. French Linguist interested in Sanskrit. Professor in Paris. Son of Joseph F., a carpenter, and Anne, lost early his mother. Studied at his uncle’s expense in Tournon and Lyon. With revolution became a civil servant and a soldier. In 1799 moved to Paris, where he joined the police and became interested in culture and languages. Studied e.g. Sanskrit, Arabic, and especially Proençal. During the Bourbon regime he kept aside, but in 1830 came again in favour and became 1830 the Professor of Foreign Literature at Sorbonne (a new chair founded for him).
Fauriel learned Sanskrit from Al. Hamilton and (later) Chézy. He was really interested and continued his studies until his death. Among his papers a great number of grammatical notes, glossaries, text copies, Latin translations, notes of comparative linguistics, etc. were found. He was among the founders of the Société Asiatique and dealt with Sanskrit in his IE lectures at Sorbonne in 1834. However, he published only a few reviews related to Sanskrit. His manuscript notes on the Sanskrit Catalogue of Hamilton and Langlès are preserved at Bibliothèque Nationale.
Publications: Much on Proençal, on French history, etc.
– Reviews: Bopp, Conjugationssystem, Archives philosophiques, politiques et littéraires 4, 1818, 290-319; Bopp, Nalus, Revue Encyclopédique 5, 1820, 537-545; Schlegel, Indische Bibliothek 1, JA 1, 1822, 44-48.
Sources: R. d’Amat, D.B.F. 13 (f. 76), 1973, 786f.; *Charle, Les professeurs de la Faculté des lettres. 1. 197?; R. Rocher, Alexander Hamilton. 1968, 55-57; Schwab, Renaissance orientale. passim; French Wikipédia with portrait.
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