Alain Rey
Encyclopedia
Alain Rey (born August 30, 1928) is a French
linguist, lexicographer and radio personality. He is the editor-in-chief at French dictionary publisher Dictionnaires Le Robert
.
on August 30, 1928. After studying political science
, humanities
and art history
at the Sorbonne
, Rey served in the 4th Regiment of the Tunisian Troops. While stationed in Algeria
in 1952, he replied to an advertisement placed by Paul Robert, who was compiling a new French dictionary and looking for linguists. Rey become Robert's first collaborator, on Dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique. Robert's network of lexicographers grew and Rey married his colleague Josette Debove
in 1954. In 1964 the very first Le Robert dictionary was published, followed by an abridged Le Petit Robert
in 1967.
Rey went on to supervise the publication of many more dictionaries under the Le Robert trademark: the Petit Robert (1967); the Micro Robert, a pocket dictionary; the Petit Robert des noms propres (1974), a guide to proper names; the Dictionnaire des expressions et locutions (1979), a dictionary of phrases and expressions; the Grand Robert de la langue française, a nine-volume work (1985); an updated version, the Nouveau Petit Robert de la langue française (1993), and the Dictionnaire historique de la langue française (1992). In 2005, he published the Dictionnaire culturel en langue française.
Beyond the printed page, Rey enjoys the status of a French media personality. Between 1993 and 2006, he appeared daily on France Inter
's morning radio show, Sept neuf trente, in a three-minute closing segment called Le mot de la fin ("The Last Word"), in which he presented an entertaining analysis of French vocabulary. Rey often garnished these segments with political commentary of a libertarian stripe. Rey's segment was retired in 2006 — a move that for some signalled France Inter's desire for new blood to capture a younger demographic. His last segment with France Inter
, which aired June 29, 2006, examined the word salut ("goodbye").
Between 2004 and 2005, Rey also appeared after the 8 o'clock evening news on the channel France 2
, in a segment entitled Démo des Mots, in which he explained the history of French financial jargon.
In 2005, the French Minister of Culture and Communication awarded him the title of Commander in the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
(Order of Arts and Literature).
Rey is also a signatory of the Appel à la vigilance contre le néocréationnisme et les intrusions spiritualistes en science ("Call to vigilance against creationism and religious interference with science"), published in France in December 2005.
Since September 2007, Rey has appeared on Laurent Baffie's Sunday morning radio show on Europe 1
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
linguist, lexicographer and radio personality. He is the editor-in-chief at French dictionary publisher Dictionnaires Le Robert
Dictionnaires Le Robert
Dictionnaires Le Robert is a French publisher of dictionaries founded by Paul Robert. Its Petit Robert is often considered the authoritative single-volume dictionary of the French language.-Bilingual dictionaries:...
.
Biography
Rey was born in Pont-du-ChâteauPont-du-Château
Pont-du-Château is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-Geography:Located at 15 km from Clermont-Ferrand , Pont-du-Château is a regional town laying near a strategic crossroad of motorways connecting Paris to Barcelona and Lyon to Bordeaux.Pont-du-Château, a...
on August 30, 1928. After studying political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
and art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, Rey served in the 4th Regiment of the Tunisian Troops. While stationed in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
in 1952, he replied to an advertisement placed by Paul Robert, who was compiling a new French dictionary and looking for linguists. Rey become Robert's first collaborator, on Dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique. Robert's network of lexicographers grew and Rey married his colleague Josette Debove
Josette Rey-Debove
Josette Rey-Debove, born November 16, 1929 in Calais , France and died February 22, 2005 in Senegal, was a lexicographer and semiologist, wife and colleague of Alain Rey...
in 1954. In 1964 the very first Le Robert dictionary was published, followed by an abridged Le Petit Robert
Petit Robert
Le Petit Robert is a popular single-volume French dictionary first published by Paul Robert in 1967, an abridgement of his eight-volume Dictionnaire alphabétique et analogique de la langue française....
in 1967.
Rey went on to supervise the publication of many more dictionaries under the Le Robert trademark: the Petit Robert (1967); the Micro Robert, a pocket dictionary; the Petit Robert des noms propres (1974), a guide to proper names; the Dictionnaire des expressions et locutions (1979), a dictionary of phrases and expressions; the Grand Robert de la langue française, a nine-volume work (1985); an updated version, the Nouveau Petit Robert de la langue française (1993), and the Dictionnaire historique de la langue française (1992). In 2005, he published the Dictionnaire culturel en langue française.
Beyond the printed page, Rey enjoys the status of a French media personality. Between 1993 and 2006, he appeared daily on France Inter
France Inter
France Inter is a major French public radio channel and part of Radio France. It is a "generalist" station, aiming to provide a wide national audience with a full service of news and intelligent spoken-word programming, both serious and entertaining, liberally punctuated with an eclectic mix of...
's morning radio show, Sept neuf trente, in a three-minute closing segment called Le mot de la fin ("The Last Word"), in which he presented an entertaining analysis of French vocabulary. Rey often garnished these segments with political commentary of a libertarian stripe. Rey's segment was retired in 2006 — a move that for some signalled France Inter's desire for new blood to capture a younger demographic. His last segment with France Inter
France Inter
France Inter is a major French public radio channel and part of Radio France. It is a "generalist" station, aiming to provide a wide national audience with a full service of news and intelligent spoken-word programming, both serious and entertaining, liberally punctuated with an eclectic mix of...
, which aired June 29, 2006, examined the word salut ("goodbye").
Between 2004 and 2005, Rey also appeared after the 8 o'clock evening news on the channel France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
, in a segment entitled Démo des Mots, in which he explained the history of French financial jargon.
In 2005, the French Minister of Culture and Communication awarded him the title of Commander in the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
(Order of Arts and Literature).
Rey is also a signatory of the Appel à la vigilance contre le néocréationnisme et les intrusions spiritualistes en science ("Call to vigilance against creationism and religious interference with science"), published in France in December 2005.
Since September 2007, Rey has appeared on Laurent Baffie's Sunday morning radio show on Europe 1
Europe 1
Europe 1, formerly known as Europe n° 1, is a privately owned radio network created in 1955. It is one of the leading French radio broadcasters and heard throughout France...
.