Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro was a Spanish
Jesuit and famous philologist; born at Horcajo
, 1 May 1735; died at Rome
, 24 August 1809.
Having entered the Jesuit order at Madrid
, he studied at Alcalá de Henares
, devoting himself with special zeal to architecture
and linguistics
. For a time he taught at the royal seminary in Madrid and at the Jesuit college of Murcia
; then he went to the Americas
as a missionary and remained there until 1767, when in connection with the abolition of the Jesuits the establishments of the Society were taken away from the order. Hervás now returned to Europe
, taking up residence first at Cesena, Italy
, then in 1784 at Rome
. In 1799 he went back to his native land, but four years later left Spain and lived in Rome for the remainder of his life. He was held in high honour; Pope Pius VII
made him prefect of the Quirinal library, and he was a member of several learned academies. In Italy he had a chance to meet many Jesuits who had flocked thither from all parts of the world after the suppression of the order. He availed himself diligently of the exceptional opportunity thus afforded him of gaining information about remote and unknown idioms that could not be studied from literary remains. The results of his studies he laid down in a number of works, first in Italian, and subsequently translated into Spanish.
The greatest work of Hervás is the huge treatise on cosmography, "Idea dell' Universo" (Idea of the Universe) (Cesena, 1778-87, in 21 vols. in 4to). It consists of several parts, almost all of which were translated into Spanish and appeared as separate works. Of these the most important, which had appeared separately in Italian in 1784, is entitled "Catálogo de las lenguas de las naciones conocidas, y numeración división y clase de éstas según la diversitad de sus idiomas y dialectos" (Catalog of the languages of the known nations, with a class division and numbering according to the diversity of its languages and dialects) (Madrid, 1800-5 6 vols.). Here Hervás attempts to investigate the origin and ethnological relationship of different nations on the basis of language. The main object of the book, therefore, is not really philological. Vol. I covers American races and idioms; vol. II of those islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans; the remaining volumes, devoted to the European languages, are inferior in value to the first two. The American dialects are certainly better described and classified than they had been before; the existence of a Malay
and Polynesian
speech-family is established. For determining affinity in languages similarity in grammar is emphasized as against mere resemblance in vocabulary. While there were gross errors and defects in the work, it is conceded that it presented its materials with scholarly accuracy and thus proved useful to later investigators. Other parts of the work to appear separately in Italian and later in Spanish were "Virilità dell' Uomo" (Manhood of Men) (4 vols., 1779-80); "Vecchiaja e morte dell' Uomo" (Old age and death of Man) (1780); "Viaggio estatico al Mondo planetario" (Ecstatic Journey around the World) (1780); "Storia della Terra" (The History of Earth) (1781-83, 6 vols.); "Origine, formazione, mecanismo ed armonia degl' Idiomi" (Origin, formation, mechanics and harmony of Idioms) (1785); "Vocabolario, Poliglotto, con prolegomeni sopra più de CL lingue" (Vocabulary, Multilingualism, with introduction on more languages from CL) (1787); "Saggio practicco delle Lingue con prolegomeni e una raccolta di orazioni dominicali in più di trecento lingue e dialetti" (Wise Language practice with introduction and a collection of dominical prayers in more than three hundred languages and dialects) (1787).
Hervás also wrote a number of educational works for deaf-mutes, the most notable being "La Escuela Española de Sordo-mudos ó Arte para enseñarles á escribir y hablar el idioma español" (The Spanish School of Art for Deaf-mutes, to teach writing and speaking the Spanish language) (Madrid, 1795), and other works of miscellaneous character, of which we mention "Descripción de los archivos de la corona de Aragón y Barcelona" (Description of the records of the kings of Aragon and Barcelona), etc. (Cartagena, 1801). He also left a number of works that have not been edited: "Historia de la Escritura" (History of Writing); "Paleografía universal" (Universal Paleography); "Moral de Confucio" (the Moral of Confucius); "Historia de las primeras colonias de América" (History of the first American colonies); "El hombre vuelto á la religión" (The man turned to religion), as well as tracts of a controversial or theological nature.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Jesuit and famous philologist; born at Horcajo
Horcajo de Santiago
Horcajo de Santiago is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 3,517....
, 1 May 1735; died at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 24 August 1809.
Having entered the Jesuit order at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, he studied at Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares
Alcalá de Henares , meaning Citadel on the river Henares, is a Spanish city, whose historical centre is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites, and one of the first bishoprics founded in Spain...
, devoting himself with special zeal to architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and linguistics
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
. For a time he taught at the royal seminary in Madrid and at the Jesuit college of Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
; then he went to the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
as a missionary and remained there until 1767, when in connection with the abolition of the Jesuits the establishments of the Society were taken away from the order. Hervás now returned to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, taking up residence first at Cesena, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, then in 1784 at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. In 1799 he went back to his native land, but four years later left Spain and lived in Rome for the remainder of his life. He was held in high honour; Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
made him prefect of the Quirinal library, and he was a member of several learned academies. In Italy he had a chance to meet many Jesuits who had flocked thither from all parts of the world after the suppression of the order. He availed himself diligently of the exceptional opportunity thus afforded him of gaining information about remote and unknown idioms that could not be studied from literary remains. The results of his studies he laid down in a number of works, first in Italian, and subsequently translated into Spanish.
The greatest work of Hervás is the huge treatise on cosmography, "Idea dell' Universo" (Idea of the Universe) (Cesena, 1778-87, in 21 vols. in 4to). It consists of several parts, almost all of which were translated into Spanish and appeared as separate works. Of these the most important, which had appeared separately in Italian in 1784, is entitled "Catálogo de las lenguas de las naciones conocidas, y numeración división y clase de éstas según la diversitad de sus idiomas y dialectos" (Catalog of the languages of the known nations, with a class division and numbering according to the diversity of its languages and dialects) (Madrid, 1800-5 6 vols.). Here Hervás attempts to investigate the origin and ethnological relationship of different nations on the basis of language. The main object of the book, therefore, is not really philological. Vol. I covers American races and idioms; vol. II of those islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans; the remaining volumes, devoted to the European languages, are inferior in value to the first two. The American dialects are certainly better described and classified than they had been before; the existence of a Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and Polynesian
Polynesian languages
The Polynesian languages are a language family spoken in the region known as Polynesia. They are classified as part of the Austronesian family, belonging to the Oceanic branch of that family. They fall into two branches: Tongic and Nuclear Polynesian. Polynesians share many cultural traits...
speech-family is established. For determining affinity in languages similarity in grammar is emphasized as against mere resemblance in vocabulary. While there were gross errors and defects in the work, it is conceded that it presented its materials with scholarly accuracy and thus proved useful to later investigators. Other parts of the work to appear separately in Italian and later in Spanish were "Virilità dell' Uomo" (Manhood of Men) (4 vols., 1779-80); "Vecchiaja e morte dell' Uomo" (Old age and death of Man) (1780); "Viaggio estatico al Mondo planetario" (Ecstatic Journey around the World) (1780); "Storia della Terra" (The History of Earth) (1781-83, 6 vols.); "Origine, formazione, mecanismo ed armonia degl' Idiomi" (Origin, formation, mechanics and harmony of Idioms) (1785); "Vocabolario, Poliglotto, con prolegomeni sopra più de CL lingue" (Vocabulary, Multilingualism, with introduction on more languages from CL) (1787); "Saggio practicco delle Lingue con prolegomeni e una raccolta di orazioni dominicali in più di trecento lingue e dialetti" (Wise Language practice with introduction and a collection of dominical prayers in more than three hundred languages and dialects) (1787).
Hervás also wrote a number of educational works for deaf-mutes, the most notable being "La Escuela Española de Sordo-mudos ó Arte para enseñarles á escribir y hablar el idioma español" (The Spanish School of Art for Deaf-mutes, to teach writing and speaking the Spanish language) (Madrid, 1795), and other works of miscellaneous character, of which we mention "Descripción de los archivos de la corona de Aragón y Barcelona" (Description of the records of the kings of Aragon and Barcelona), etc. (Cartagena, 1801). He also left a number of works that have not been edited: "Historia de la Escritura" (History of Writing); "Paleografía universal" (Universal Paleography); "Moral de Confucio" (the Moral of Confucius); "Historia de las primeras colonias de América" (History of the first American colonies); "El hombre vuelto á la religión" (The man turned to religion), as well as tracts of a controversial or theological nature.