John Trevisa facts for kids

John Trevisa (also known as John of Trevisa; Latin: Ioannes Trevisa) was an important writer and translator from Cornwall, England. He lived from about 1342 to 1402 AD. He is famous for translating many important Latin books into English, making knowledge available to more people.

Who Was John Trevisa?

John Trevisa was born in a place called Trevessa, in the parish of St Enoder in mid-Cornwall. He grew up speaking the Cornish language.

Early Life and Education

He went to Exeter College, Oxford, which is a famous university. After his studies, he became a vicar (a type of priest) in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. He also worked as a chaplain for the 5th Lord Berkeley, named Thomas de Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley. A chaplain is like a personal priest or spiritual advisor. He also became a Canon of Westbury on Trym, which is another church role.

A Life of Learning and Service

Trevisa was a fellow at The Queen's College, Oxford, from 1372 to 1376. During this time, other famous scholars like John Wycliff were also there. Trevisa dedicated his life to learning and sharing knowledge, especially through his translations.

Why Were His Translations Important?

John Trevisa's main work was translating large, important books from Latin into English. He did this with the support of his patron, Lord Berkeley. A patron is someone who supports an artist or scholar financially. Trevisa wanted to help ordinary people learn more by making these books understandable in their own language.

The Polychronicon Project

One of his most famous translations was the Latin Polychronicon by Ranulf Higden. This book was a huge history of the world. Trevisa didn't just translate it; he also added his own thoughts and ideas. He even wrote a special introduction called Dialogue on Translation between a Lord and a Clerk. This introduction explained why translating books was so important.

On the Properties of Things

He also translated another very important book called On the Properties of Things (or De Proprietatibus Rerum in Latin). This book was written by Bartholomaeus Anglicus. It was like an early version of an encyclopedia, covering all sorts of knowledge from the medieval world. Translating it helped spread knowledge about many different subjects.

Helping Translate the Bible

Many people believe John Trevisa also helped translate parts of the Bible into English. He might have worked on an early version of Wycliffe's Bible. The preface to the King James Version of the Bible, which came out in 1611, even mentioned him. It said that in the time of King Richard II, "John Trevisa translated them [the Gospels] into English." This shows how important his work was in making the Bible available in English. He also translated some parts of the Bible into French for Lord Berkeley, including the Book of Revelation. This French translation was even written on the ceiling of the chapel at Berkeley Castle!

His Lasting Impact

John Trevisa's work as a translator was very important for the English language. He helped introduce many new words and ideas into English. In fact, he is the 18th most often quoted author in the Oxford English Dictionary. This means that many words in the dictionary have their first recorded use in Trevisa's writings. He is the third most cited source for the first use of a word, after Geoffrey Chaucer and the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. This shows how much he influenced the English language.

Images for kids

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  This image shows a page from the Polychronicon, a history book that John Trevisa translated.