Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie
Encyclopedia
Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie d'Arrast (January 3, 1810 – March 19, 1897) was a French
and Basque
explorer, geographer
, ethnologue
, linguist and astronomer
notable for his travels in Ethiopia
during the first half of the 19th century. He was the older brother of Arnaud Michel d'Abbadie.
family of the province
of Soule
, his father Michel was born in Arrast-Larrebieu
and his mother was Irish
. His grandfather Jean-Pierre was an abbot
and a notary
in Soule
.
The family moved to France
in 1818 where the brothers received a careful scientific education.
At his return from Ethiopia, he married Virginie Vincent de Saint Bonnet in 1848, and settled in Hendaye
where he purchased 250ha
to build his castle
, and became the mayor of the city from 1871 to 1875.
Abbadie was a knight of the Legion of Honour and a member of the French Academy of Sciences
. He died in 1897, and bequeathed the Abbadi domain and castle in Hendaye, yielding 40,000 francs a year, to the Academy of Sciences.
, the results being published at a later date (1873) under the title of Observations relatives à la physique du globe faites au Bresil et en Ethiopie. The younger Abbadie spent some time in Algeria
before, in 1837, the two brothers started for Ethiopia, landing at Massawa
in February 1838. They visited various parts of Ethiopia, including the then little-known districts of Ennarea and Kaffa
, sometimes together and sometimes separately. They met with many difficulties and many adventures, and became involved in political intrigues, Antoine especially exercising such influence as he possessed in favour of France and the Roman Catholic
missionaries. After collecting much valuable information concerning the geography, geology, archaeology and natural history of Ethiopia, the brothers returned to France in 1848 and began to prepare their materials for publication.
Antoine became involved in various controversies relating both to his geographical results and his political intrigues. He was especially attacked by Charles Tilstone Beke
, who impugned his veracity, especially with reference to the journey to Kana. But time and the investigations of subsequent explorers have shown that Abbadie was quite trustworthy as to his facts, though wrong in his contention—hotly contested by Beke—that the Blue Nile
was the main stream. The topographical results of his explorations were published in Paris
between 1860 and 1873 in Geodesie d'Ethiopie, full of the most valuable information and illustrated by ten maps. Of the Geographie de l'Ethiopie (Paris, 1890) only one volume has been published. In Un Catalogue raisonné de manuscrits ethiopiens (Paris, 1859) is a description of 234 Ethiopian manuscript
s collected by Antoine. He also compiled various vocabularies, including a Dictionnaire de la langue amariñña
(Paris, 1881), and prepared an edition of the Shepherd of Hermas, with the Latin version, in 1860. He published numerous papers dealing with the geography of Ethiopia, Ethiopian coins and ancient inscriptions. Under the title of Reconnaissances magnetiques he published in 1890 an account of the magnetic observations made by him in the course of several journeys to the Red Sea
and the Levant
. The general account of the travels of the two brothers was published by Arnaud in 1868 under the title of Douze ans dans la Haute Ethiopie.
Both brothers received the grand medal of the Paris Geographical Society in 1850.
after meeting the Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte
in London
. He started his academic work on Basque in 1852.
A speaker of both Souletin and Lapurdian
, a resident of Lapurdi, Abbadie considered himself a Basque
from Soule
.
The popularity of the motto
Zazpiak Bat
is attributed to Abbadie.
it is usually referred to as Chateau d'Abbadie or Domaine d'Abbadia, and locally it is not unusual for it to be called le Chateau d'Antoine d'Abbadie.
The castle was built between 1864 and 1879 on a cliff by the Atlantic ocean, and was designed by Viollet Le Duc in the Neo Gothic style. It is divided in three parts : the observatory and library, the chapel and the living part.
Nowadays the castle still belongs to the Academy of Science to which it was bequeathed in 1895 on condition of its producing within fifty years a catalogue of half-a-million stars.
The castle was classified as a protected historical monument by France in 1984 and most of the domain now belongs to the Coastal Protection Agency
and is managed by the city of Hendaye.
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...
and Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
explorer, geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
, ethnologue
Ethnologue
Ethnologue: Languages of the World is a web and print publication of SIL International , a Christian linguistic service organization, which studies lesser-known languages, to provide the speakers with Bibles in their native language and support their efforts in language development.The Ethnologue...
, linguist and astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
notable for his travels in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
during the first half of the 19th century. He was the older brother of Arnaud Michel d'Abbadie.
Biography
Born from a nobleNobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
family of the province
Provinces of France
The Kingdom of France was organised into provinces until March 4, 1790, when the establishment of the département system superseded provinces. The provinces of France were roughly equivalent to the historic counties of England...
of Soule
Soule
Soule is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques département...
, his father Michel was born in Arrast-Larrebieu
Arrast-Larrebieu
Arrast-Larrebieu is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.It is located in the former province of Soule.-External links:*...
and his mother was Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
. His grandfather Jean-Pierre was an abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
and a notary
Notary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
in Soule
Soule
Soule is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques département...
.
The family moved to France
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...
in 1818 where the brothers received a careful scientific education.
At his return from Ethiopia, he married Virginie Vincent de Saint Bonnet in 1848, and settled in Hendaye
Hendaye
Hendaye is the most south-westerly town and commune in France, lying in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department and located in the traditional province Lapurdi of the French Basque Country...
where he purchased 250ha
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
to build his castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
, and became the mayor of the city from 1871 to 1875.
Abbadie was a knight of the Legion of Honour and a member of the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
. He died in 1897, and bequeathed the Abbadi domain and castle in Hendaye, yielding 40,000 francs a year, to the Academy of Sciences.
Science and explorations
In 1835 the French Academy sent Antoine on a scientific mission to BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the results being published at a later date (1873) under the title of Observations relatives à la physique du globe faites au Bresil et en Ethiopie. The younger Abbadie spent some time 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...
before, in 1837, the two brothers started for Ethiopia, landing at Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
in February 1838. They visited various parts of Ethiopia, including the then little-known districts of Ennarea and Kaffa
Kingdom of Kaffa
The Kingdom of Kaffa was an early modern state located in what is now Ethiopia, with its capital at Bonga. The Gojeb River formed its northern border, beyond which lay the Gibe kingdoms; to the east the territory of the Konta and Kullo peoples lay between Kaffa and the Omo River; to the south...
, sometimes together and sometimes separately. They met with many difficulties and many adventures, and became involved in political intrigues, Antoine especially exercising such influence as he possessed in favour of France and the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
missionaries. After collecting much valuable information concerning the geography, geology, archaeology and natural history of Ethiopia, the brothers returned to France in 1848 and began to prepare their materials for publication.
Antoine became involved in various controversies relating both to his geographical results and his political intrigues. He was especially attacked by Charles Tilstone Beke
Charles Tilstone Beke
Charles Tilstone Beke was an English traveller, geographer and Biblical critic. Born in Stepney, London, the son of a merchant in the City of London, for a few years Beke engaged in mercantile pursuits...
, who impugned his veracity, especially with reference to the journey to Kana. But time and the investigations of subsequent explorers have shown that Abbadie was quite trustworthy as to his facts, though wrong in his contention—hotly contested by Beke—that the Blue Nile
Blue Nile
The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. With the White Nile, the river is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile...
was the main stream. The topographical results of his explorations were published in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
between 1860 and 1873 in Geodesie d'Ethiopie, full of the most valuable information and illustrated by ten maps. Of the Geographie de l'Ethiopie (Paris, 1890) only one volume has been published. In Un Catalogue raisonné de manuscrits ethiopiens (Paris, 1859) is a description of 234 Ethiopian manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s collected by Antoine. He also compiled various vocabularies, including a Dictionnaire de la langue amariñña
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
(Paris, 1881), and prepared an edition of the Shepherd of Hermas, with the Latin version, in 1860. He published numerous papers dealing with the geography of Ethiopia, Ethiopian coins and ancient inscriptions. Under the title of Reconnaissances magnetiques he published in 1890 an account of the magnetic observations made by him in the course of several journeys to the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
. The general account of the travels of the two brothers was published by Arnaud in 1868 under the title of Douze ans dans la Haute Ethiopie.
Abbadie, a Basque and bascophile
Basque through his father, Abbadie developed a particular interest about the Basque LanguageBasque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
after meeting the Prince Louis Lucien Bonaparte
Louis Lucien Bonaparte
Louis Lucien Bonaparte was the third son of Napoleon's second surviving brother, Lucien Bonaparte. He was born at Thorngrove, mansion in Grimley, Worcestershire, England, where his family were temporarily interned after having been captured by the British en route to America A philologist and...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He started his academic work on Basque in 1852.
A speaker of both Souletin and Lapurdian
Lapurdian
Lapurdian or Labourdin is a dialect of the Basque language spoken in the Lapurdi region of the Basque Country in France...
, a resident of Lapurdi, Abbadie considered himself a Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
from Soule
Soule
Soule is a former viscounty and French province and part of the present day Pyrénées-Atlantiques département...
.
The popularity of the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
Zazpiak Bat
Zazpiak Bat
Zazpiak Bat is a motto attributed to Basque explorer Antoine-Thomson d'Abbadie in the nineteenth century, from the Basque words zazpiak meaning 'the seven' and bat meaning 'one', translates as "the seven [are] one" and refers to the seven Basque Country traditional provinces...
is attributed to Abbadie.
Abbadie, an Irishman?
Irish through his mother, Abbadie was an English-speaker but his relationship with Irish culture or his Irish family is not documented.The Castle
Abbadie gave his domain the name Abbadia, which is the name still used in Basque. However in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
it is usually referred to as Chateau d'Abbadie or Domaine d'Abbadia, and locally it is not unusual for it to be called le Chateau d'Antoine d'Abbadie.
The castle was built between 1864 and 1879 on a cliff by the Atlantic ocean, and was designed by Viollet Le Duc in the Neo Gothic style. It is divided in three parts : the observatory and library, the chapel and the living part.
Nowadays the castle still belongs to the Academy of Science to which it was bequeathed in 1895 on condition of its producing within fifty years a catalogue of half-a-million stars.
The castle was classified as a protected historical monument by France in 1984 and most of the domain now belongs to the Coastal Protection Agency
Conservatoire du littoral
The Conservatoire du littoral is a French public organisation created in 1975 to ensure the protection of outstanding natural areas on the coast, banks of lakes and stretches of water of 10 square kilometres or more...
and is managed by the city of Hendaye.
About Basque
- Études grammaticales sur la langue euskarienne. 1836
- Le Dictionnaire de Chaho. 1854
- Lettres sur l'orthographe basque. 1854
- Travaux récents sur la langue basque. 1859
- Sur la carte de la langue basque. 1868
- Le basque et le berbère. 1873
- Lettre sur la préservation de la langue basque. 1895
History and Explorations
- Instructions pour les voyages d'exploration. 1867
- L'Abyssinie et le roi Théodoros. 1868
- Monnaie d'Éthiopie. 1868
- Credo d'un vieux voyageur. 1884
Science
- Catalogue raisonné de manuscrits éthiopiens. Paris, 1859
- Résumé Géodésique des positions déterminées en Éthiopie. Paris, 1859
- Géodésie d'Éthiopie ou triangulation d'une partie de la Haute Éthiopie. 4 vol. Gauthier-Villars. Paris, 1860-1873
- Notice sur les langues de Kamw. 1872
- Observations relatives à la physique du globe, faites au Brésil et en Éthiopie. Gauthier-Villars. Paris, 1873
- Recherches sur la verticale. 1881
- Dictionnaire de la langue Amariñña. 1881
- Reconnaissances magnétiques. Paris, 1890
- Géographie de l'Éthiopie, ce que j'ai entendu, faisant suite à ce que j'ai vu. 1890