Herbert Giles
Encyclopedia
Herbert Allen Giles was a British
diplomat and sinologist, educated at Charterhouse
. He modified a Mandarin Chinese Romanization
system earlier established by Thomas Wade
, resulting in the widely known Wade-Giles
Chinese
transliteration
system. Among his prolific works were translation
s of Confucius
, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and the first widely published Chinese-English dictionary
.
, Herbert became a British
diplomat to China
(1867–1892). He also spent several years at Fort Santo Domingo
(1885–1888) in Tamsui, Taiwan
. He was the father of Bertram, Valentine, Lancelot, Edith, Mable, and Lionel Giles
. In 1897 Herbert Giles became only the second professor of Chinese appointed at the University of Cambridge
, succeeding Thomas Wade
. At the time of his appointment, there were no other sinologists at Cambridge. Giles was therefore free to spend most of his time among the ancient Chinese texts earlier donated by Thomas Wade
, publishing what he translated from his wide reading.
Giles received the Prix St. Julien award from the French Academy in 1897 for his Chinese Biographical Dictionary. He dedicated the third edition of Strange Stories (1916) to his seven grandchildren, but at the end of his life was on speaking terms with only one of his surviving children. An ardent agnostic, he was also an enthusiastic freemason. He never became a Fellow
at one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge, despite being a university professor for 35 years. He finally retired in 1932, and died in his ninetieth year.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
diplomat and sinologist, educated at Charterhouse
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
. He modified a Mandarin Chinese Romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
system earlier established by Thomas Wade
Thomas Francis Wade
Sir Thomas Francis Wade, GCMG, KCB , was a British diplomat and Sinologist who produced a syllabary in 1859 that was later amended, extended and converted into the Wade-Giles romanization for Mandarin Chinese by Herbert Giles in 1892...
, resulting in the widely known Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
system. Among his prolific works were translation
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
s of Confucius
Confucius
Confucius , literally "Master Kong", was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher of the Spring and Autumn Period....
, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and the first widely published Chinese-English dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
.
Biography
Herbert A. Giles was the fourth son of John Allen Giles (1808–1884), an Anglican clergyman. After studying at CharterhouseCharterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
, Herbert became a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
diplomat to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(1867–1892). He also spent several years at Fort Santo Domingo
Fort Santo Domingo
Fuerte Santo Domingo or Fort San Domingo was originally a wooden fort built by the Spanish in 1629 at Tamsui on the northwestern coast of Taiwan.-History:...
(1885–1888) in Tamsui, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. He was the father of Bertram, Valentine, Lancelot, Edith, Mable, and Lionel Giles
Lionel Giles
Lionel Giles was a Victorian scholar, translator and the son of British diplomat and sinologist, Herbert Giles. Lionel Giles served as assistant curator at the British Museum and Keeper of the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books...
. In 1897 Herbert Giles became only the second professor of Chinese appointed at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, succeeding Thomas Wade
Thomas Francis Wade
Sir Thomas Francis Wade, GCMG, KCB , was a British diplomat and Sinologist who produced a syllabary in 1859 that was later amended, extended and converted into the Wade-Giles romanization for Mandarin Chinese by Herbert Giles in 1892...
. At the time of his appointment, there were no other sinologists at Cambridge. Giles was therefore free to spend most of his time among the ancient Chinese texts earlier donated by Thomas Wade
Thomas Francis Wade
Sir Thomas Francis Wade, GCMG, KCB , was a British diplomat and Sinologist who produced a syllabary in 1859 that was later amended, extended and converted into the Wade-Giles romanization for Mandarin Chinese by Herbert Giles in 1892...
, publishing what he translated from his wide reading.
Giles received the Prix St. Julien award from the French Academy in 1897 for his Chinese Biographical Dictionary. He dedicated the third edition of Strange Stories (1916) to his seven grandchildren, but at the end of his life was on speaking terms with only one of his surviving children. An ardent agnostic, he was also an enthusiastic freemason. He never became a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
at one of the constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge, despite being a university professor for 35 years. He finally retired in 1932, and died in his ninetieth year.
Diplomatic Postings
- British Vice ConsulVice ConsulA vice consul is a subordinate officer, authorized to exercise consular functions in some particular part of a district controlled by a consulate....
at Pagoda Island, MaweiMawei DistrictMawei is a district in the municipal region of Fuzhou, FJ.It is famous for its historical Mawei Navy Yard....
(1880–1883) - British Vice ConsulVice ConsulA vice consul is a subordinate officer, authorized to exercise consular functions in some particular part of a district controlled by a consulate....
at ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
(1883–1885) - British ConsulConsulConsul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
at Tamsui (1885–1891) - British ConsulConsulConsul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
at Ningpo (1891–1893)
Written works
(STANFORD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY)(STANFORD UNIVERSITY LIBRARY)* Chinese without a Teacher (1872; sixth edition, 1908; ninth edition, 1931)- Using Examples to Learn the Spoken Language (Yuxue Jiuyu) (1873)
- Using Examples to Learn the Written Language (Zixue Jiuyu) (1874)
- Chinese Sketches London: Trubner & Co., 1876.
- Handbook of the Swatow Dialect (1877)
- Glossary of Reference (1878; third edition, 1900)
- Strange Stories from a Chinese StudioStrange Stories from a Chinese StudioStrange Stories from a Chinese Studio or Liaozhai Zhiyi is a collection of nearly five hundred mostly supernatural tales written by Pu Songling in Classical Chinese during the early Qing Dynasty.Pu borrows from a folk tradition of oral storytelling to put to paper a series of captivating,...
(1880, LondonLondonLondon 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...
) from Pu SonglingPu SonglingPu Songling was a Qing Dynasty Chinese writer, best known as the author of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio.-Biography:Pu was born into a poor landlord-merchant family from Zichuan...
's Liaozhai Zhiyi. - Historic China (1882)
- The Remains of Lao Tzu (1886)
- The 1415-page A Chinese-English Dictionary (Hua-Ying Zidian) (1892, ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
; 1912, London) in Mandarin, Hakka, Cantonese, and Min. - Chinese Biographical Dictionary (1897), which received the Prix St. Julien of the French Academy
- Chinese Poetry in English Verse (1898)
- History of Chinese LiteratureHistory of Chinese LiteratureHistory of Chinese Literature is an English history of Chinese literature written by Herbert Giles, and published in 1901.In his preface, Giles claims that such a work of history was not already available, even in Chinese.-External links:...
(1901) - China and the Chinese (1902)
- Introduction to The History of Chinese Art (1905)
- Chinese Fairy Tales (1911)
- The Civilization of China (1911) (Cambridge manuals of science and literature)
- "China" in History of the Nations (1913)
- Confucianism and Its Rivals (1915)
- How to Begin Chinese: The Hundred Best Characters (1919)
- The Second Hundred Best Characters 1922)
- Revision of Bullock's Progressive Exercises (1922)
- Chuang Tzǔ: Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer (1926, Shanghai)
- The Chinese and Their Food (Zhonghua Fanshi) (1947, ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
) (posthumous)
See also
- Chinese languageChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
- Chinese literatureChinese literatureChinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
- Chinese classics
- SinologySinologySinology in general use is the study of China and things related to China, but, especially in the American academic context, refers more strictly to the study of classical language and literature, and the philological approach...
- Lionel GilesLionel GilesLionel Giles was a Victorian scholar, translator and the son of British diplomat and sinologist, Herbert Giles. Lionel Giles served as assistant curator at the British Museum and Keeper of the Department of Oriental Manuscripts and Printed Books...
Additional sources
- Cooley, James C., Jr. T.F. Wade in China: Pioneer in Global Diplomacy 1842-1882. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1981.