Robert Whittington facts for kids

Robert Whittington (also known as Robert Wittinton or Robert Whitynton) was an English grammarian who lived from about 1480 to 1553. A grammarian is someone who studies and teaches the rules of a language, especially how words are put together to form sentences. Whittington went to Magdalen College School, Oxford, where he likely learned from another famous grammarian, John Stanbridge.

Robert Whittington's Early Life and Education

Robert Whittington was a very dedicated student. In 1513, he earned his Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Oxford University. Before that, he had spent 14 years studying rhetoric, which is the art of speaking or writing effectively and persuasively. He also taught rhetoric for 12 years. This shows how much he loved learning and sharing his knowledge!

How Whittington Gained Support

Around 1519, Whittington wanted to get support from important people. He gave Cardinal Wolsey, a powerful church leader, a special book with poems and writings, asking for his help. That same year, he published a collection of poems called Libellus epigrammaton. These poems were written for famous figures like Cardinal Wolsey, King Henry VIII, Thomas More, and the poet John Skelton.

In 1520, Whittington published another work called Vulgaria. In this book, he praised the late King Henry VII, the scholar Thomas Linacre, and Thomas More. It was in Vulgaria that Thomas More was first called "a man for all seasons," meaning he was a person who could handle any situation. Whittington's efforts worked, and by 1523, King Henry VIII himself supported him.

Robert Whittington's Famous School Books

Robert Whittington became very well-known for writing simple Latin school books. These books helped students learn Latin grammar. Each book focused on a different part of grammar and could be bought separately and cheaply. They were very popular and were printed many times until the early 1530s.

What Were His Grammar Books About?

Some of his most important grammar books included:

• De nominum generibus (1511): This book was about the different types of nouns.
• Declinationes nominum (around 1511): This taught how nouns change their endings.
• De heteroclitis nominibus (around 1511): This covered irregular nouns.
• Syntaxis (second edition, 1512): This explained how words are put together to form sentences.
• De syllabarum quantitate (second edition, around 1512): This focused on the length of syllables.
• De octo partibus orationis (around 1514): This discussed the eight parts of speech (like nouns, verbs, adjectives).
• De synonymis (1515): This book was about words with similar meanings. It also included De magistratibus veterum Romanorum, which was about ancient Roman officials.
• Vulgaria (1520): This book had English and Latin sentences for students to translate.
• Verborum preterita et supina (1521): This covered past tense verbs and supines (a type of Latin noun).

Whittington also helped edit Accidence, a grammar book by his old teacher, John Stanbridge, around 1515.

Later Works and Translations

Whittington's grammar books continued to be printed throughout the 1520s, mostly by a printer named Wynkyn de Worde. For a short time, another printer, Richard Pynson, also printed his works. Around 1529, Whittington started working with Peter Treveris, who printed his books for the next two years. By 1533, Whittington was back with Wynkyn de Worde.

After Worde passed away in 1534, Whittington started focusing on translating books from Latin into English. He translated several important works, including:

• De civilitate morum puerilium (1532) by Erasmus, which was about good manners for children.
• Three works by Cicero, a famous Roman speaker and writer: De officiis (1534), Paradoxa (around 1534), and De senectute (around 1535).
• Three works believed to be by Seneca, another Roman philosopher: The Forme and Rule of Honest Lyvynge (1546), The Myrrour or Glasse of Maners (1547), and De remediis fortuitorum (1547). It's interesting to note that the first two, Forme and Myrrour, were actually written by Martin of Braga.

See also

• Grammarians' War