Arte da Lingoa de Iapam

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Cover of the book

The Art of the Japanese Language (

Jesuit missionary. It is the oldest fully extant Japanese grammar and is a valuable reference for the late middle period of the Japanese language.[1]

Background

Christian missionary work in Japan began in the 1540s, necessitating the learning of its language. Missionaries created dictionaries and grammars. Early grammars seem to have been written in the 1580s, but are no longer extant.[1]

measures, and other commercial information.[2] There are only two known copies: one at the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford and the other in the Crawford family collection.[1][3]
There is also a manuscript by Leon Pagès.

Following a

Rodrigues then joined the

Macao in 1620.[2][1] It reformulates the treatment of grammar in the earlier "Great Art" (Arte Grande), establishing clear and concise rules regarding the principal features of the Japanese language.[2]

Contents

The grammar is three volumes in length.

Editions

The Great Art was translated into Japanese by Tadao Doi (土井忠生) in 1955.[2]

The Short Art was translated into French by M.C. Landresse as Elements of Japanese Grammar (Elémens de la Grammaire Japonaise) in 1825, with a supplement added the next year.[2]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten Henshū Iinkai (1986:1417-1418)
  2. ^ a b c d e f Chan (1976), p. 1146.
  3. ^ a b c d Doi (1955)

Bibliography

  • Chan, Albert (1976), "João Rodrígues", Dictionary of Ming Biography, 1368–1644, Vol. II: M–Z, New York: Columbia University Press, pp. 1145–47, .
  • Doi, Tadao (1955) [1604-1608]. Nihon Daibunten (in Japanese). .
  • Hino, Hiroshi (1993). Nihon Shōbunten (in Japanese). Shin-Jinbutsu-Ōrai-Sha.
  • Ikegami, Mineo (1993) [1620]. Nihongo Shōbunten (in Japanese). .
  • Nihon Koten Bungaku Daijiten: Kan'yakuban [A Comprehensive Dictionary of Classical Japanese Literature: Concise Edition]. .