Angelo Zottoli
Encyclopedia
Angelo Zottoli was an Italian Catholic
priest
and missionary
in China
and a sinologist. He was born in Acerno
. In 1843, he joined the Jesuits. In 1848, he passed an Imperial examination
as one of the first Europeans. From 1853 he taught in St. Ignatius College for Chinese Christian students. He wrote a Latin
textbook
of Chinese Language
Cursus litterae sinicae neo-missionariis accommodatus in five volumes. He translated
very well some classic works of Chinese literature
(Confucius
), he wrote a Chinese dictionary
and also many theological
texts in Chinese.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and a sinologist. He was born in Acerno
Acerno
Acerno, is a town and in the province of Salerno in the region of Campania in south-western Italy.-Geography:Acerno, population 2,867 at the end of March 2009, is a small town, or large village, located 40 km north-east of the provincial capital of Salerno at 727 metres above sea level in...
. In 1843, he joined the Jesuits. In 1848, he passed an Imperial examination
Imperial examination
The Imperial examination was an examination system in Imperial China designed to select the best administrative officials for the state's bureaucracy. This system had a huge influence on both society and culture in Imperial China and was directly responsible for the creation of a class of...
as one of the first Europeans. From 1853 he taught in St. Ignatius College for Chinese Christian students. He wrote a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
of Chinese Language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
Cursus litterae sinicae neo-missionariis accommodatus in five volumes. He translated
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
very well some classic works of Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
(Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
), he wrote a Chinese dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
and also many theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
texts in Chinese.