China Baroqueries, ca. 1620: Francisco de Herrera Maldonado on the Chinese Language

This article focuses on the reflections on Chinese language and script included by Francisco de Herrera Maldonado (a minor figure in the Spanish Golden Age) in his little-known 1620 Historical Epitome of the Kingdom of China ... By translating and commenting on the relevant contexts from both the Sp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Seventeenth century Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. 579 - 609
Main Author Luca, Dinu
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Durham Routledge 02.09.2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Calligraphy
Chinese language
Chinese languages
Chinese writing
French language
Herrera Maldonado
Herrera Maldonado, Francisco de
Kircher, Athanasius (1602-1680)
Linguistics
Otherness
Spanish language
Western perceptions of China
China
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Summary:This article focuses on the reflections on Chinese language and script included by Francisco de Herrera Maldonado (a minor figure in the Spanish Golden Age) in his little-known 1620 Historical Epitome of the Kingdom of China ... By translating and commenting on the relevant contexts from both the Spanish original and its 1622 French rendition, I challenge the critical consensus that sees most of the Historical Epitome as a highly derivative text. I discuss this work's many novel linguistic perspectives (on character composition, calligraphy, and Chinese grammar) against those in earlier European accounts on China, and emphasise the pioneering position Herrera Maldonado's work should occupy in a history of European reflections on the Chinese language and linguistic otherness at large. I also argue that Herrera's language chapter represents a partially failed attempt at building a Baroque spectacle of erudition and Chinese-character-based visual splendour, which anticipates Athanasius Kircher's better-known efforts.
ISSN:0268-117X
2050-4616
DOI:10.1080/0268117X.2019.1641144