Galland, Antoine
Galland, Antoine (1646–1715),French orientalist, translator, philologist, numismatist, and epigraphist, whose version of the Thousand and One Nights (Les Mille et une nuits, 1704–17) was the first in a Western European language (see The Arabian Nights, and oriental fairy tales).
After studying at the Collège Royal and the Sorbonne, Galland, who was known for his gift with languages, spent 15 years in Constantinople as adviser to Louis XIV's ambassadors. In that capacity he had the opportunity to learn even more languages and to travel extensively throughout the Middle East. Upon his return to France, he devoted his energies to scholarly pursuits, writing extensively on Middle Eastern languages, cultures, and antiquities. Among his most important accomplishments were completing and publishing Herbelot de Molainville's encyclopaedic Bibliothèque...
[The entire page is 1129 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
