Dominique Bouhours facts for kids
Dominique Bouhours (born May 15, 1628 – died May 27, 1702) was a French Jesuit priest. He was also a writer, a language expert, and a critic. He was born and died in Paris, France.
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Contents
About His Life
Bouhours joined the Society of Jesus (a group of Catholic priests) when he was 16 years old. He taught literature at a college in Paris. He also taught public speaking in other French cities. Later, he became a private teacher for two sons of a duke.
He was sent to Dunkirk to help English people who had left their country. Even while doing missionary work, he wrote several books. He returned to Paris around 1665 or 1666.
Dominique Bouhours died in Paris in 1702. It is said that his last words were: "I am about to—or I am going to—die: either expression is correct." This shows his strong interest in language, even at the very end.
His Writings
Bouhours wrote many important books. These books helped shape how people thought about language and writing in his time.
Les Entretiens d'Ariste et d'Eugène
In 1671, Bouhours published Les Entretiens d'Ariste et d'Eugène. This book became very popular and was printed many times. The title means "Conversations between Ariste and Eugène."
The book is made up of six friendly talks between two friends. Their names mean "well-born" in Greek and Latin. They discuss interesting topics in a polite and smart way.
Topics in the Conversations
The friends talk about things like:
- The Sea, and how amazing it is to think about.
- The French language.
- Secrets.
- What makes a person truly witty or clever (called "True Wit").
- A mysterious quality called "Le Je ne sais quoi."
- Mottoes (short sayings).
These conversations were written in perfect French. They also included references to old Greek and Roman writers. The book was so popular that it was even copied in Poland.
What is "Le Je ne sais quoi"?
One of the most interesting topics was "Le Je ne sais quoi." This French phrase means "I don't know what." Bouhours and his characters tried to explain this mysterious quality.
They decided it was a special charm or grace that you can't quite explain. It's something that just feels right or pleasing in nature or art. This idea was important in French writing for a long time.
Doutes sur la langue française
Another important book by Bouhours was Doutes sur la langue française. It was published in Paris in 1674. This book was about how to improve the French language.
How to Improve French
In this book, Bouhours listed his "doubts" or questions about French. He looked at:
- Words and their meanings.
- Common phrases.
- How sentences were put together.
- How clear the language was.
- If the style of writing was consistent.
He gave examples from other writers and suggested ways to make them better. His ideas helped make French clearer and more organized. Many of his ideas are still used today by people who write well in French.
Other Important Works
Bouhours wrote other books too. These include:
- La Manière de bien penser sur les ouvrages d'esprit (1687), which was later called The Art of Criticism in English.
- Vie de Saint Ignace de Loyola (1679), a book about the life of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
- Vie de Saint François Xavier (1682), a book about the life of Saint Francis Xavier.
- A translation of the New Testament into French (1697).
He also wrote letters against a religious group called the Jansenists. People used to joke that he served "the world and heaven by semester." This meant he wrote secular books and religious books in turns.
