Guilherme de Vasconcelos Abreu
Encyclopedia
Guilherme de Vasconcelos Abreu (1842-1917) was a Portuguese
writer, map maker and orientalist
.
in 1842. Abreu spent a lifetime studying languages. He travelled to Brazil and went on several journeys to Portuguese colonies in India. He was particularly interested in the ancient language of Sanskrit.
He was involved with redesigning the Portuguese language in terms of its spelling. One of his students, Aniceto dos Reis Gonçalves Viana
, led the commission that advised on how the spelling of Portuguese should be reformed. This change was successfully made, but created a rift with Brazil
who continued to use the traditional spelling.
He was elected to the Portuguese Academy of Sciences
in 9 February 1887.
His 1902 book were translations from ancient books including the Sutta-pitaka, Ramayana
and the Mahabharata
. The book was titled Os Contos, Apólogos e Fábulas da Índia (or Tales, apologists, and Fables of India) This was the first book to define the term yoga
in Portuguese.
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
writer, map maker and orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
.
Biography
Guilherme de Vasconcelos Abreu was born in CoimbraCoimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
in 1842. Abreu spent a lifetime studying languages. He travelled to Brazil and went on several journeys to Portuguese colonies in India. He was particularly interested in the ancient language of Sanskrit.
He was involved with redesigning the Portuguese language in terms of its spelling. One of his students, Aniceto dos Reis Gonçalves Viana
Aniceto dos Reis Gonçalves Viana
Aniceto dos Reis Gonçalves Viana was a Portuguese writer and orientalist who led a committee that reorganised the spelling of Portuguese.-Biography:...
, led the commission that advised on how the spelling of Portuguese should be reformed. This change was successfully made, but created a rift with Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
who continued to use the traditional spelling.
He was elected to the Portuguese Academy of Sciences
Sciences Academy of Lisbon
The Sciences Academy of Lisbon ' was created in 1779 in Lisbon, Portugal, as an institution dedicated to the advancement of science and learning with the goal of promoting academic progress and prosperity to the country...
in 9 February 1887.
His 1902 book were translations from ancient books including the Sutta-pitaka, Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
and the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
. The book was titled Os Contos, Apólogos e Fábulas da Índia (or Tales, apologists, and Fables of India) This was the first book to define the term yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
in Portuguese.
Works
- Curso de Literatura e Língua SânscritaSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
Clássica e Védica (1879-98), (Sanskrit language course in five volumes). - Bases da ortografia portuguesa (1885) (Portuguese language -- Orthography and spelling)
- Os Contos, Apólogos e Fábulas da Índia (Tales, apologists, and Fables of India) , 1902