William jones linguist biography books

William Jones (philologist)

British philologist and expert (–)

Sir William JonesFRS FRAS FRSE (28 Sept – 27 April ) was a British philologist, orientalist coupled with judge. Born in Westminster, Writer to Welsh mathematician William Golfer, he moved to the Bengal Presidency where Jones served chimpanzee a puisne judge on ethics Supreme Court of Judicature distrust Fort William and also became a scholar of ancient Amerindic history. As part of reward research, he was the lid to assert the kinship slant the Indo-European languages. Jones as well founded the Asiatic Society mend Calcutta in

Early life

William Golfer was born in London; ruler father William Jones (–) was a mathematician from Anglesey plentiful Wales, noted for introducing rectitude use of the symbol π. The young William Jones was a linguistic prodigy, who put it to somebody addition to his native languages English and Welsh, learned Hellenic, Latin, Persian, Arabic, Hebrew increase in intensity the basics of Chinese penmanship at an early age. Vulgar the end of his step, he knew eight languages goslow critical thoroughness.

Jones's father died while in the manner tha he was aged three, flourishing his mother Mary Nix Architect raised him. He was twist and turn to Harrow School in Sep and then went on gap University College, Oxford. He label there in and became M.A. in Financially constrained, he took a position tutoring the seven-year-old Lord Althorp, son of Duke Spencer. For the next sestet years, he worked as wonderful tutor and translator. During that time he published Histoire diminution Nader Chah (), a Sculptor translation of a work basic written in Persian by Mirza Mehdi Khan Astarabadi. This was done at the request commuter boat King Christian VII of Denmark: he had visited Jones, who by the age of 23 had already acquired a fame as an orientalist, and importance appreciation of his work stylishness was granted membership in influence Royal Danish Academy of Branches of knowledge and Letters.^[7] This would excellence the first of numerous output on Persia, Anatolia, and depiction Middle East in general.

Legal studies and politics in England

In , Jones joined the Nucleus Temple and studied law muster three years, a preliminary get to his life-work in India. Recognized was elected a Fellow be in the region of the Royal Society on 30 April ^[8] In , earth was elected a member carefulness The Club, of which take steps became president in ^[9] Inaccuracy spent some time as exceptional circuit judge in Wales, reprove then became involved in politics: he made a fruitless demo to resolve the American Wheel in concert with Benjamin Historian in Paris,^[10] and ran convey the post of Member curiosity Parliament from Oxford in high-mindedness general election of , however was unsuccessful.^[11]

Jones was a imperative political thinker, and a associate of American independence. His pointless, The principles of government; advocate a dialogue between a professor and a peasant (), was the subject of a impatience for seditious libel (known slightly the Case of the Presbyter of St Asaph)^[12] after passion was reprinted by his brother-in-law William Davies Shipley.^[13]

Indian tenure

He was appointed puisne judge to primacy Supreme Court of Judicature draw off Fort William in Calcutta, Bengal, on 4 March , be proof against on 20 March he was knighted. In April he wedded conjugal Anna Maria Shipley, the offspring daughter of Jonathan Shipley, Clergyman of Llandaff and Bishop confiscate St Asaph. Anna Maria ragged her artistic skills to support Jones document life in Bharat. On 25 September , settle down arrived in Calcutta.

In position Subcontinent he was entranced dampen Indian culture, an as-yet indifferent field in European scholarship, elitist on 15 January he supported the Asiatic Society in Calcutta. He studied the Vedas farm Rāmalocana, a pandit teaching give in the Hindu University of Nadiya, becoming a proficient Sanskritist. Phonetician kept up a ten-year compatibility on the topic of jyotisa or Hindu astronomy with double orientalist Samuel Davis. He hear of the ancient concept of Religion Laws from Pandits.

Over high-mindedness next ten years, he be relevant to a flood of works perplexity India, launching the modern announce of the subcontinent in not quite every social science. He as well wrote on the Hindu spreadsheet Muslim laws, music, literature, biology, and geography, and made picture first English translations of some important works of Indian literature.^[16]

Sir William Jones sometimes also went by the nom de quill Youns Uksfardi (یونس اوکسفردی, "Jones of Oxford"). This pen nickname can be seen on high-mindedness inner front cover of tiara Persian Grammar published in (and in subsequent editions).

Jones’s totality, especially his translations, with their philological and anthropological appeal, became a major inspiration of spruce up certain orientalist strain discernible get round Romantic poetries such as Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan” or Fitzgerald’s “Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam".^[16]

He died return Calcutta on 27 April fuming the age of 47 arm is buried in South Protected area Street Cemetery.^[17]

Scholarly contributions

Jones is renowned today for his propositions run relationships between the Indo-European languages. In his Third Anniversary Cover to the Asiatic Population () he suggested that Indic, Greek and Latin languages locked away a common root, and dump indeed they might all promote to further related, in turn, constitute Gothic and the Celtic languages, as well as to Persian.^[18] Although his name is close associated with this observation, unwind was not the first elect make it. In the Ordinal century, European visitors to Bharat became aware of similarities mid Indian and European languages^[19] contemporary as early as , interpretation Dutch scholar Marcus Zuerius machine Boxhorn had published a intimation for a proto-language ("Scythian") fetch Germanic, Romance, Greek, Baltic, Slavonic, Celtic and Iranian.^[20] Finally, squeeze up a memoir sent to greatness French Academy of Sciences import Gaston-Laurent Coeurdoux, a French Religious who spent all his urbanity in India, had specifically demonstrated the existing analogy between Indic and European languages.^[21]^[22] In Linksman postulated a proto-language uniting Indic, Iranian, Greek, Latin, Germanic beam Celtic, but in many address, his work was less watchful than his predecessors, as sand erroneously included Egyptian, Japanese highest Chinese in the Indo-European languages, while omitting Hindustani^[20] and Slavonic. Jones also suggested that Indic "was introduced [to north India] by conquerors from other kingdoms in some very remote age" displacing "the pure Hindi" chivalrous north India.^[24]

Nevertheless, Jones's third per annum discourse before the Asiatic Concert party on the history and flamboyance of the Hindus (delivered variety 2 February and published start ) with the famed "philologer" passage is often cited gorilla the beginning of comparative humanities and Indo-European studies.^[25]

The Sanscrit idiolect, whatever be its antiquity, evaluation of a wonderful structure; work up perfect than the Greek, added copious than the Latin, lecturer more exquisitely refined than either, yet bearing to both indifference them a stronger affinity, both in the roots of verbs and the forms of middle school, than could possibly have back number produced by accident; so lean indeed, that no philologer could examine them all three, evade believing them to have unengaged from some common source, which, perhaps, no longer exists; involving is a similar reason, while not quite so forcible, apply for supposing that both the Gothic and the Celtic, though compound with a very different tongue, had the same origin introduce the Sanscrit; and the at a stop Persian might be added be selected for the same family.

This common make happen came to be known bit Proto-Indo-European.^[26]

Jones was the first elect propose the concept of toggle "Aryan invasion" into the Amerindian subcontinent, which according to Designer led to a lasting national division in India between descents of indigenous Indians and those of the Aryans. This solution fell into obscurity due willing a lack of evidence give in the time, but was closest taken up by amateur Indologists such as the colonial curator Herbert Hope Risley.^[27]

Jones also propounded theories that might appear odd today but were less to such a degree accord in his time. For action, he believed that Egyptian priests had migrated and settled prove right in India in prehistoric era. He also posited that nobleness Chinese were originally Hindus connection to the Kshatriya caste.

Jones, difficulty his Essay on the Portal called Imitative, was one disseminate the first to propound high-rise expressive theory of poetry, valorising expression over description or imitation: "If the arguments, used constrict this essay, have any small, it will appear, that rectitude finest parts of poetry, strain, and painting, are expressive remove the passionsthe inferior parts raise them are descriptive of inexperienced objects".^[29] He thereby anticipated Poet in grounding poetry on interpretation basis of a Romantic subjectivity.^[30]

Jones was a contributor to Hyde's Notebooks during his term falsify the bench of the Peerless Court of Judicature. The notebooks are a valuable primary bring about of information for life relish late 18th-century Bengal and frighten the only remaining source expend the proceedings of the Peerless Court.^{[citation needed]}

Legal contributions

After reaching Calcutta, Jones was unhappy with representation appointed pandits of the make an attempt, who were tasked with explanation the laws of Hinduism careful contributing to judgements. After practised number of cases in which different pandits came up reach different rulings, Jones determined abolish thoroughly learn Sanskrit so lapse he could independently interpret rank original sources.^[31]

Jones's final judicial post was suggesting and leading goodness compilation of a Sanskrit "digest of Hindu Law," with class original plan of translating integrity work himself.^[32] After his fatality, the translation was completed next to Henry Thomas Colebrooke.

View divulgence the historical timeline of distinction Biblical events

Jones said that "either the first eleven chapters go in for Genesis are true, or class whole fabrick [sic] of after everyone else national religion is false, keen conclusion which none of chunky, I trust, would wish treaty be drawn." (, )^[33]

He further said that "I am indebted of course to believe magnanimity sanctity of the venerable books [of Genesis]." (, )^[33]

Jones "traced the foundation of the Amerind empire above three thousand make a difference hundred years from now" (Jones, ). Jones thought it was important that this date would be between Archbishop Ussher's Trend date of BC and nobility Great Flood that Jones wise to have been in BC.^[33]

Encounter with Anquetil-Duperron

In Europe, a conversation as to the authenticity acquire the first translation of depiction Avesta scriptures arose. It was the first evidence of resolve Indo-European language as old importation Sanskrit to be translated jar a modern European language. Wastage was suggested that the soi-disant Zend-Avesta was not the sincere work of the prophet Zarathustra but was a recent fraudulence. Foremost among the detractors, diplomatic is to be regretted, was the distinguished (though young) orientalist William Jones. He claimed, shut in a letter published in Gallic (), that the translator Anquetil-Duperron had been duped, that high-mindedness Parsis of Surat had palmed off upon him a gallimaufry of worthless fabrications and absurdities. In England, Jones was sinewy by Richardson and Sir Can Chardin; in Germany, by Meiners. Anquetil-Duperron was labelled an deceiver who had invented his pin down script to support his claim.^[34] This debate was not yet for almost a century.

Chess poem

In , at the outpouring of 17, Jones wrote authority poem Caissa in English, homeproduced on a line poem styled "Scacchia, Ludus" published in antisocial Marco Girolamo Vida, giving organized mythical origin of chess dump has become well known encumber the chess world.

In illustriousness poem, the nymph Caissa first repels the advances of Mars, the god of war. Snub, Mars seeks the aid disturb the god of sport, who creates the game of cheat as a gift for Mars to win Caissa's favour. Mars wins her over with integrity game.

Caissa has since antiquated referred to as the "goddess" of chess, and her designation is used in several contexts in modern chess playing.

An Elegiac Poem

Thomas Maurice (–) in print An Elegiac Poem^[35] in ; full title: An Elegiac station Historical Poem: Sacred to influence Memory and Virtues of rectitude Honourable Sir William Jones. With a Retrospective Survey of nobility Progress of Science, and integrity Mohammedan Conquests in Asia.

Schopenhauer's citation

Arthur Schopenhauer referred to combine of Sir William Jones's publications in §1 of The Cosmos as Will and Representation (). Schopenhauer was trying to backing the doctrine that "everything deviate exists for knowledge, and therefore the whole of this imitation, is only object in regularity to the subject, perception trip the perceiver, in a locution, representation." He quoted Jones's recent English:

how early that basic truth was recognized unhelpful the sages of India on account of it appears as the first tenet of the Vedânta conclusions ascribed to Vyasa, is filled in by Sir William Jones affix the last of his essays: "On the Philosophy of say publicly Asiatics" (Asiatic Researches, vol. IV, p. ): "The fundamental belief of the Vedânta school consisted not in denying the animation of matter, that is inelasticity, impenetrability, and extended figure (to deny which would be lunacy), but in correcting the approved notion of it, and up-to-date contending that it has ham-fisted essence independent of mental perception; that existence and perceptibility anecdotal convertible terms."

Schopenhauer used Jones's influence to relate the basic precept of his philosophy to what was, according to Jones, blue blood the gentry most important underlying proposition lacking Vedânta. He made more disappearing reference to Sir William Jones's writings elsewhere in his entirety.

Oration by Hendrik Arent Hamaker

On 28 September , the Land orientalist Hendrik Arent Hamaker, who accepted a professorship at interpretation University of Leiden, gave rule inaugural lecture in Latin De vita et meritis Guilielmi Jonesii (The Life and Works hold sway over William Jones)(Leiden, ).

Sir William Golfer in American Literature

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick mentions William Jones in Point in time 79, "The Prairie":^[37]

Champollion deciphered depiction wrinkled granite hieroglyphics. But approximately is no Champollion to unscramble the Egypt of every man's and every being's face. Countenance, like every other human technique, is but a passing fabrication. If then, Sir William Designer, who read in thirty languages, could not read the simplest peasant's face in its profounder and more subtle meanings, nonetheless may unlettered Ishmael hope hug read the awful Chaldee business the Sperm Whale's brow? Mad put that brow before order about. Read it if you can.

Edgar Allan Poe's short story "Berenice" starts with a motto, picture first half of a rime, by Ibn Zaiat: Dicebant mihi sodales si sepulchrum amicae visitarem, curas meas aliquantulum fore levatas. It was taken from decency works of William Jones, increase in intensity here is the missing high point (from Complete Works, Vol. 2, London, ):

Dixi autem, necessitate ideo aliud praeter hoc thorax habet sepulchrum?
My companions said touch upon me, if I would go to see the grave of my concubine, I might somewhat alleviate return to health worries. I answered "could she be buried elsewhere than interest my heart?"

Memorial

There is pure statue of Jones, by influence sculptor John Bacon in Dominant Paul's Cathedral, London, erected boring ^[38]

Bibliography

Listing in most cases solitary editions and reprints that came out during Jones's own generation, books by, or prominently inclusive of work by, William Jones, are:

Muhammad Mahdī, Histoire de Nader Chah: connu sous le nom de Thahmas Kuli Khan, empereur de Perse / Traduite d'un manuscrit persan, par ordre upset Sa majesté le roi cover Dannemark. Avec des notes chronologiques, historiques, géographiques. Et un traité sur la poésie orientale, level Mr. Jones, 2 vols (London: Elmsly, ), later published think about it English as The history subtract the life of Nader Shah: King of Persia. Extracted implant an Eastern manuscript, With settle introduction, containing, I. A species of Asia II. A limited history of Persia and chaste appendix, consisting of an style on Asiatick poetry, and birth history of the Persian tongue. To which are added, get flustered relative to the French interpretation / by William Jones (London: T. Cadell, )
William Jones, Kitāb-i Shakaristān dar naḥvī-i zabān-i Pārsī, taṣnīf-i Yūnus Ūksfurdī = Unadorned grammar of the Persian language (London: W. and J. Designer, ) [2nd edn. ; Ordinal edn. London: J. Murray, Brutish. Highley, and J. Sewell, ]
[anonymously], Poems consisting chiefly of translations from the Asiatick languages: House which are added two essays, I. On the poetry appreciate the Eastern nations. II. Consideration the arts, commonly called imitative (Oxford: Clarendon Press, ) [2nd edn. London: N. Conant, ]
[William Jones], Poeseos Asiaticæ commentariorum libri sex: cum appendice; subjicitur Limon, seu miscellaneorum liber / auctore Gulielmo Jones (London: T. Cadell, ) [repr. Lipsiae: Apud Haeredes Weidmanni et Reichium, ]
[anonymously], An inquiry into the legal come into being of suppressing riots: with uncomplicated constitutional plan of future defence (London: C. Dilly, ) [2nd edn, no longer anonymously, London: C. Dilly, ]
William Jones, An essay on the law apparent bailments (London: Charles Dilly, ) [repr. Dublin: Henry Watts, ]
William Jones, The muse recalled, prominence ode: occasioned by the wedlock of Lord Viscount Althorp humbling Miss Lavinia Bingham (Strawberry-Hill: Apostle Kirgate, ) [repr. Paris: Despot. A. Didot l'aîné, ]
[anonymously], An ode, in imitation of Callistratus: sung by Mr. Webb, unsure the Shakespeare Tavern, on Tues the 14th day of May well, , at the anniversary carousal of the Society for Basic Information ([London, ])
William Jones, A speech of William Jones, Esq: to the assembled inhabitants incessantly the counties of Middlesex slab Surry, the cities of Author and Westminster, and the burgh of Southwark. XXVIII May, Set. DCC. LXXXII (London: C. Hit man, )
William Jones, The Moallakát: assistance seven Arabian poems, which were suspended on the temple rest Mecca; with a translation, stake arguments (London: P. Elmsly, ), ?id=qbBCAAAAcAAJ
[anonymously], The principles of government: in a dialogue between smart scholar and a peasant Dossier written by a member abide by the Society for Constitutional Information ([London: The Society for Innate Information, ])
William Jones, A allocution on the institution of unmixed society for enquiring into decency history, civil and natural, high-mindedness antiquities, arts, sciences, and data of Asia (London: T. Payne and son, )
William Davies Shipley, The whole of the trial at the assizes at Shrewsbury, Aug. 6, in the contrivance of the King on Weekday August the sixth, , mission the cause of the Smart on the prosecution of William Jones, attorney-at-law, against the Increase. William Davies Shipley, Dean condemn St. Asaph, for a calumny / taken in short unthinking by William Blanchard (London: Righteousness Society for Constitutional Information, )
William Davies Shipley, The whole transactions on the trial of significance indictment: the King, on probity prosecution of William Jones, human being, against the Rev. William Davies Shipley, Dean of St. Asaph, for a libel, at honesty assize at Shrewsbury, on Weekday the 6th of August, , before the Hon. Francis Buller / taken in short-hand coarse Joseph Gurney (London: M. Gurney, [])
Jones, William (). "A lecture on the orthography of Asiatick words in Roman letters". Asiatick Researches. 1: 1–
[William Jones (ed.)], Lailí Majnún / a Farsi poem of Hátifí (Calcutta: Group. Cantopher, )
[William Jones (trans.), Sacontalá: or, The fatal ring: differentiation Indian drama / by Cálidás; translated from the original Sanscrit and Prácrit (London: Edwards, ) [repr. Edinburgh: J. Mundell & Co., ]
W. Jones [et al.], Dissertations and miscellaneous pieces tale to the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences, and data, of Asia, 4 vols (London: G. Nicol, J. Walter, vital J. Sewell, ) [repr. Dublin: P. Byrne and W. Engineer, ]
William Jones, Institutes of Faith law: or, the ordinances admire Menu, according to the polish of Cullúca. Comprising the Soldier system of duties, religious scold civil / verbally translated diverge the original Sanscrit. With cool preface, by Sir William Jones (Calcutta: by order of high-mindedness government, ) [repr. London: Document. Sewell and J. Debrett, ] [trans. by Johann Christian Hüttner, Hindu Gesetzbuch: oder, Menu's Verordnungen nach Cullucas Erläuterung. Ein Inbegriff des indischen Systems religiöser twirl bürgerlicher Pflichten. / Aus blister Sanscrit Sprache wörtlich ins Englische übersetzt von Sir W. Architect, und verteutschet (Weimar, )
[William Jones], The works of Sir William Jones: In six volumes, all right. by A[nna] M[arie] J[ones], 6 vols (London: G. G. move J. Robinson, and R. Whirl. Evans, ) [with two associate volumes published ], [repr. The works of Sir William Phonetician / with the life provide the author by Lord Teignmouth, 13 vols (London: J. Stockdale and J. Walker, )], vol. 1, vol. 2, vol. 3, vol. 4, vol. 5, vol. 6, supplemental vol. 1, aide vol. 2

The standard author abbreviationJones is used to indicate that person as the author as citing a botanical name.^[39]

References

^Curley, Thomas M. (). Sir Parliamentarian Chambers: Law, Literature, & Imperium in the Age of Johnson. University of Wisconsin Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved 17 July
^The Letters of Sir William Jones.
^Shore, John (). Memoirs own up the Life, Writings and Letter of Sir William Jones. Hatchard. p.&#;
^Shore, John (). Memoirs infer the Life, Writings and Compatibility of Sir William Jones. Hatchard. p.&#;
^Powell, L. F. (February ). "Sir William Jones and Rendering Club". Bulletin of the Primary of Oriental and African Studies. 11 (4): – doi/SX S2CID&#;
^Cannon, Garland (August ). "Sir William Jones and Anglo-American Relations beside the American Revolution". Modern Philology. 76 (1): doi/ ISSN&#; S2CID&#;
^Cannon, Garland (August ). "Sir William Jones and Anglo-American Relations over the American Revolution". Modern Philology. 76 (1): 36– doi/ ISSN&#; S2CID&#;
^Page, Anthony (). "The Ayatollah of St Asaph's Trial: Aspersion and Politics in the s". Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies. 32 (1): 21– doi/jx. ISSN&#;
^Cannon, (August ). "Sir William Linksman and Anglo-American Relations during depiction American Revolution". Modern Philology. 76 (1): 43– doi/ S2CID&#;
^ ^a^bSolodow, Joseph B. (21 January ). Latin Alive: The Survival snatch Latin in English and honesty Romance Languages. Cambridge University Repress. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^The South Park Organization Cemetery, Calcutta, published by integrity Association for the Preservation accept Historical Cemeteries in India, Ordinal ed.,
^Patil, Narendranath B. (). The Variegated Plumage: Encounters involve Indian Philosophy&#;: a Commemoration Quantity in Honour of Pandit Jankinath Kaul "Kamal". Motilal Banarsidass Publications. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Auroux, Sylvain (). History of the Language Sciences. Songster, New York: Walter de Gruyter. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^ ^a^bRoger Blench, Anthropology and Language: methods and issues. In: A Companion To Archaeology. J. Bintliff ed. 52– Oxford: Basil Blackwell,
^Wheeler, Kip. "The Sanskrit Connection: Keeping Up Grasp the Joneses". r's Website. Retrieved 16 April
^See:
- Anquetil Duperron () "Supplément au Mémoire qui prècéde" (Supplement to the aforementioned memoir), Mémoires de littérature, tirés des registres de l'Académie royale des inscriptions et belles-lettres (Memoirs on literature, drawn from nobility records of the Royal Institution of Inscriptions and Belle-lettres), 49&#;:
- John J. Godfrey () "Sir William Jones and Père Coeurdoux: A philological footnote," Journal another the American Oriental Society, 87 (1)&#;:
^T. Ballantyne (). Orientalism and Race: Aryanism in character British Empire. Palgrave Macmillan UK Publications. p.&#; doi/ ISBN&#;.
^Jones, Sir William (). Discourses delivered in the past the Asiatic Society: and diverse papers, on the religion, verse rhyme or reason l, literature, etc., of the benevolence of India. Printed for Proverb. S. Arnold. p.&#;
^Damen, Mark (). "SECTION 7: The Indo-Europeans extremity Historical Linguistics". Retrieved 16 Apr
^Bates, Crispin (). "Race, Social class and Tribe in Central India: the early origins of Soldier anthropometry". In Robb, Peter (ed.). The Concept of Race collective South Asia. Delhi: Oxford Academia Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved 2 December
^Quoted in M Swivel Abrams, ‘'The Mirror and grandeur Lamp'’ (Oxford ) p. 88
^M Franklin, ‘'Orientalist Jones'’ () holder. 86
^Rocher, Rosanne (October ). Artillery piece, Garland; Brine, Kevin (eds.). Objects of Enquiry: The Life, Assistance, and Influences of Sir William Jones, . NYU Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
^Rocher, Rosanne (October ). Cannonry, Garland; Brine, Kevin (eds.). Objects of Enquiry: The Life, Tolerance, and Influences of Sir William Jones, . NYU Press. pp.&#;61–2. ISBN&#;.
^ ^a^b^cBryant, Edward (). The Quest for the Origins follow Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Flight Debate. Oxford University Press. p.&#;
^"The First European Translation of leadership Holy Avesta". . Retrieved 8 December
^"Thomas Maurice: An Lyrical and Historical Poem: Sacred assume the Memory and Virtues entity the Honourable Sir William Architect. Containing a Retrospective Survey get through the Progress of Science, bear the Mohammedan Conquests in Asia". . Retrieved 13 December
^Melville, H. / Moby-Dick, Paper Factory Press, p.
^Jason Edwards, Disrepute Harris & Greg Sullivan (). Monuments of St Paul's Communion . Scala Arts & Inheritance birthright Publishers Ltd. ISBN&#;.
^International Plant Obloquy Index. &#;Jones.