Pierre Larousse facts for kids
Pierre Athanase Larousse (born October 23, 1817 – died January 3, 1875) was a French writer and publisher. He was known for creating dictionaries and encyclopedias. He published many important educational books in France during the 1800s. His most famous work is the 15-volume Grand dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle (Great Universal Dictionary of the 19th Century).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pierre Larousse was born in a town called Toucy, France. His father worked as a blacksmith. When Pierre was sixteen, he won a scholarship to a teaching school in Versailles.
After four years, he went back to Toucy to teach at a primary school. However, he found the teaching methods there very old-fashioned and strict. This made him want to find better ways to learn and teach. In 1840, he moved to Paris to continue his own education by taking free courses.
Starting His Career
From 1848 to 1851, Pierre Larousse taught at a private boarding school. There, he met Suzanne Caubel, who would later become his wife in 1872.
In 1849, Pierre and Suzanne worked together to publish a French language course for children. This showed their interest in making learning easier and more fun for young people.
Founding a Publishing House
In 1851, Pierre Larousse met Augustin Boyer. Boyer was also a former teacher who felt unhappy with the old teaching ways. Together, they started their own book publishing company called Librairie Larousse et Boyer.
They focused on publishing new kinds of textbooks for children. They also made instruction manuals for teachers. Their goal was to help students become more creative and think for themselves.
Creating Famous Dictionaries
In 1856, Larousse and Boyer published the New Dictionary of the French Language. This dictionary was the first version of what would become the very popular Petit Larousse. But Pierre Larousse was already planning an even bigger project.
On December 27, 1863, the first volume of his huge dictionary and encyclopedia, the Grand dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle (Great Universal 19th-Century Dictionary), was released. This work was highly praised by famous writers like Victor Hugo. It quickly became a classic and is still respected today.
In 1869, Larousse ended his partnership with Boyer. He spent the rest of his life working on his Great Dictionary. He passed away in Paris in 1875 from a stroke, which was likely caused by how hard he worked. His nephew, Jules Hollier, finished the dictionary in 1876. It ended up having 15 volumes, with extra parts added in 1878 and 1890.
Larousse's Legacy
The publishing company he founded, Éditions Larousse, is still around today. It continues to publish many dictionaries and encyclopedias. Over the years, the company has been owned by different groups, but it keeps Pierre Larousse's name and his mission to spread knowledge.
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Larousse para niños
- Bilingual dictionary (a dictionary that translates words between two languages)
