Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie
Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 19 March 1897 Paris, France | (aged 87)
Nationality | Irish, French, Basque |
Citizenship | France |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Geographer |
Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie d'Arrast (3 January 1810 – 19 March 1897)
Biography
D'Abbadie was born a British subject, in
The family moved to France in 1818 where the brothers received a careful scientific education.[1][nb 2] In 1827, Antoine received a bachelor's degree in Toulouse.[3] Starting in 1829, he began his education in Paris, where he studied law.[3]
He married Virginie Vincent de Saint-Bonnet on 21 February 1859,[3] and settled in Hendaye where he purchased 250ha to build a castle, and became the mayor of the city from 1871 to 1875.
D'Abbadie was a knight of the
Education
Michel d'Abbadie returned to France with his family circa 1820. Initially residing in Toulouse, he oversaw the education of all his children who were placed under the tutelage of a governess. "I was raised," Antoine saids, "in the English tradition alongside my sisters. We spent our days and nights in a dormitory, overseen carefully by a servant. We rarely had time in the evenings to converse with our parents, only to hear the occasional tale from Daddy before being sent to play in a corner of the room. We always addressed our parents formally, using 'Sir' or 'Madam'."
Antoine remained at home for three or four years, "far from the strict discipline of a boarding school tutor." At the age of 13, he attended middle School where he exhibited extraordinary fervour. Still in his childhood, he displayed an uncommon curiosity concerning the unfamiliar in his surroundings by asking his governess, "What lies at the end of the road?" to which she replied, "A river, my friend." "And what lies beyond the river?" inquired the child. "A mountain," responded the elder. "And what lies beyond the mountain?" asked the child. "I cannot say, for I have never been there," replied the elder. "Then I shall journey forth and discover it myself," declared the child. Antoine d'Abbadie maintained this unquenchable thirst for knowledge throughout his life. He has an exceptional talent for acquiring languages and is proficient in English, Italian, German, Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, Berber, and several Ethiopian languages.
In August 1827, he obtained his baccalaureate and returned to Toulouse to become a law student. His closest friends at this time were Pierre Étienne Simon Duchartre, Bernard-Adolphe Granier de Cassagnac and Léonce Guilhaud de Lavergne .These young people often talk about their plans for the future. "Sometimes", notes d'Abbadie, "Granier asks about my future projects; I respond with commonplaces, and he likely perceives this as indecisiveness. However, I hold in my heart the most insane and beautiful project, which brings me great joy in my leisure activities, and I cherish it just as much as any other endeavour."
This project, to which the young law student made such a particular reference, had long been a part of his thinking. Since he was in middle school, he had focused his attention, his education and his smallest actions. Very early on, d'Abbadie had the passions and calling of an adventurer. His initial ideas, somewhat indeterminate at the start, presently became more distinct. "After completing college in 1829,"he tells us,"I undertook six years-long study primarily aimed at preparing me for a successful exploration of Africa's interior, which I planned to enter through Tunisia and Morocco. Reading Bruce's travels transported me back to East Africa, a region marked by numerous migrations and the origin of many traditions still present on this continent, though shrouded in mystery. From then on, I became convinced that the most important field of study a man could devote himself to was that of his fellow human beings."
Here is how d'Abbadie utilized the six years he spoke of to refine the remarkable project he had conceived: Being endowed with exceptional agility even in the Basque country, he trained himself over numerous years with physical exercises in anticipation of the fatigue and deprivations explorers face. He developed adept fencing skills, practiced gymnastics, honed his ability to contend in endurance races under differing weather conditions, and became an accomplished swimmer. During his 1827 Biarritz vacation, he astounded locals by swimming to the Boucalot rock, situated almost 500 meters away from the shore.[6]
Science and explorations
In 1835 the
After successfully completing the task assigned to him by the
The two brothers landing at Massawa in February 1838.[1] They journeyed throughout Ethiopia, travelling as far south as the Kingdom of Kaffa, sometimes together and sometimes separately. In addition to his studies in the sciences, he delved into the political fray exerting influence in favour of France and the Catholic missionaries.[7]
Arnaud held several distinguished positions such as general, judge, and diplomat. He participated in battles and earned the title of Ras, a highly esteemed title in this country. Antoine, on the other hand, pursued an academic path and became a scholar. "When residing in a foreign country without any known antecedents,"he tells us"it is advisable to adopt a vocation in line with local customs, as failure to do so may result in being branded as a political spy, a hazardous accusation in any nation. As I was unable to engage in combat, agriculture, or merchandising, I identified as a "mamhir", or teacher and scholar, during my time in Christian Ethiopia and received an education from their public and non-compulsory schools."
For a considerable length of time, the two brothers had assimilated into the customs of the region; relinquishing European attire for the turban and toga of the Ethiopians. They traversed the terrain barefoot, as during this era, solely lepers and Jews sported sandals. Furthermore, they were welcomed warmly wherever they travelled.[6]
The d'Abbadie brothers undertook extensive journeys throughout Ethiopia, documenting their observations on a range of topics, including human geography, physical geography, religion, legislative texts, ethnography, philology, linguistics, numismatics, and history. Moreover, Antoine amassed a collection of 250 antique manuscripts and, with the assistance of the Ethiopian Debtera Tewelde Medhin of Welkait, produced the first ever Amharic-French dictionary containing 15,000 words.
In late 1848, the two brothers departed Ethiopia after successfully completing their extensive self-promised program and more.
Antoine became involved in various controversies relating both to his geographical results and his political intrigues. He was especially attacked by
Antoine was responsible for streamlining techniques in geodesy, along with inventing a new theodolite for measuring angles.
Basque and bascophile
Basque through his father, Abbadie developed a particular interest in the
A speaker of both
Abbadia Castle
Abbadie gave his castle home the name Abbadia, which is the name still used in Basque. However, in French it is usually referred to as
The château was built between 1864 and 1879 on a cliff by the Atlantic Ocean, and was designed by
The château still belongs to the
The château was classified as a protected historical monument by France in 1984. Most of the château property now belongs to the Coastal Protection Agency, and is managed by the city of Hendaye.
Publications
Year | Area of Study | Title | Translation | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1836 | Basque Language | Études grammaticales sur la langue euskarienne | Grammatical Studies of the Euskarian Language | On Gallica |
1854 | Basque Language | Le Dictionnaire de Chaho | Dictionary of Chaho | |
1854 | Basque Language | Lettres sur l'orthographe basque | Letters on the Basque Spelling | |
1859 | Basque Language | Travaux récents sur la langue basque | Recent Studies on the Basque language | On Gallica |
1859 | Ethiopia | Catalogue raisonné de manuscrits éthiopiens | Catalog of Ethiopian Manuscripts | Paris[3][7] On Gallica |
1859 | Ethiopia, Geography of | Résumé Géodésique des positions déterminées en Éthiopie | Summarized Geodetic Positions Determined in Ethiopia | Paris[7] |
1860–1873 | Ethiopia, Geography of | Géodésie d'Éthiopie ou triangulation d'une partie de la Haute Éthiopie | Surveying of Ethiopia and Triangulation of Parts of Upper Ethiopia | 4 Vols. Paris:Gauthier-Villars[3][7] |
1862–1869 | Ethiopia, Geography of | Éthiopie | Ethiopia | Map in 10 sections[3] |
1864 | Zuberoatikaco gutun bat | On Gallica | ||
1867 | Exploration | Instructions pour les voyages d'exploration | Guidelines for Exploratory Voyages | Available on Gallica
|
1868 | Basque Language | Sur la carte de la langue basque | The Map of the Basque Language | |
1868 | Ethiopia, History of | L'Abyssinie et le roi Théodoros | Abyssinia and King Theodore | On Gallica |
1868 | Ethiopia | Monnaie d'Éthiopie | Ethiopian Currency | |
1872 | Language | Notice sur les langues de Kamw | Brochure of Languages Kamw | |
1873 | Basque, History of | Le basque et le berbère | Both Basque and the Berber | |
1873 | Geography | Observations relatives à la physique du globe, faites au Brésil et en Éthiopie | Observations on Earth Physics, Made in Brazil and Ethiopia | Paris:Gauthier-Villars[7] |
1880 | Exploration | Préparation des voyageurs aux observations astronomiques et géodésiques | Preparation of Travelers With Astronomical Observations and Geodetic Surveys | [3] |
1881 | Science | Recherches sur la verticale | Researching the Vertical | |
1881 | Language | Dictionnaire de la langue Amarrinna | Dictionary of the Amharic Language | [3][7] |
1884 | Exploration | Credo d'un vieux voyageur | The Creed of an Old Traveler | |
1890 | Geography | Reconnaissances magnétiques | Magnetic Reconnaissance | Paris |
1890 | Ethiopia, Geography of | Géographie de l'Éthiopie, ce que j'ai entendu, faisant suite à ce que j'ai vu | Geography of Ethiopia, What I Heard, Which Followed What I Saw | [3] |
1895 | Basque Language | Lettre sur la préservation de la langue basque | Letter on Preserving the Basque Language | |
1896 | Abolition of slavery | Sur l'abolition de l'esclavage en Afrique | On the abolition of slavery in Africa | On Gallica |
1898 | Ethiopia, History of | Des conquêtes faites en Abyssinie au XVIe siècle par l'imam Muhammad Ahmad dit Grâgne; version française de la chronique arabe du Chahâb ad-Dîn Ahmad | Translation of a chronicle of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi's conquests in 16th-century Ethiopia | Completed by Philipp Paulitschke and published posthumously. On Gallica |
Awards and memberships
Antoine received the French
Notes
- ^ Although referred to as Ethiopia here, the region that they traveled is more accurately defined as Abyssinia or in today's geography northern Ethiopia and Eritrea.
- ^ The date of the move to France by the family is given as 1820 by some.[3]
- ^ The date of the trip to Brazil is stated as 1836 by some sources.[3]
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g Hoiberg 2010, p. 8
- ^ Thorne 1984, p. 1
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Debus et al. 1968, p. 400
- ^ Anon 2014
- ^ Keltie 1911.
- ^ a b c d'Arboux, Gaston (1908). Notice Historique sur Antoine d'Abbadie (in French). Académie des Sciences.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Shahan 1907
- Gallicaas "Ethiopien d' Abbadie" and "Antoine d' Abbadie – Carnets".
- ^ a b Delpech 2014, p. 1
- ^ "Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie | Shellers From the Past and Present". www.conchology.be. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
References
- Anon (2014). "Dossier". Le Site du Ministére de la Culture et de la Communication (in French). France. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- Debus, Allen G.; Calinger, Ronald S.; Collins, Edward J.; Kennedy, Stephen J., eds. (1968). "D'Abbadie, Antoine Thomas". World Who's Who in Science: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Scientists From Antiquity to the Present. Chicago, Illinois: The A. N. Marquis Company. LCCN 68056149.
- Delpech, Viviane (2014). "The Château d'Abbadia (Pays Basque, France): Antoine d'Abbadie's Romantic and Political Utopia" (PDF). The New Strawberry Hill Press. pp. 1–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- Hoiberg, Dale H., ed. (2010). "Abbadie, Antoine-Thomson d'; and Abbadie, Arnaud-Michel d'". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. I: A-Ak – Bayes (15th ed.). Chicago, Illinois: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8.
- public domain: Keltie, John Scott (1911). "Abbadie, Antoine Thomson D' and Arnaud Michel D'". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 9. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
- Shahan, Thomas Joseph (1907). "Antoine d'Abbadie". In Herbermann, Charles George; Pace, Edward A.; Pallen, Condé Bénoist; Shahan, Thomas J.; Wynne, John J. (eds.). The LCCN 30023167. – Antoine d'Abbadie
- Thorne, John, ed. (1984). "Abbadie, Antoine Thomson d'". Chambers Biographical Dictionary (Revised ed.). Chambers. ISBN 0-550-18022-2.
- Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1900). . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
- Darboux, Gaston. "Notice Historique sur Antoine d'Abbadie".