Maurice Grevisse
Encyclopedia
Maurice Grevisse was a Belgian
grammarian.
, Grevisse at a young age broke with a family tradition of working as blacksmiths by deciding to become a school teacher. He attended the Normal School of Carlsbourg, where he received his teacher's diploma in 1915. He then entered the Normal School of Malonne and became a form-master of literature. He received a position as a teacher of French at l'École des Pupilles of the army of Marneffe. During this period, he taught himself Latin and Greek. While continuing to proceed in his career, he read classical philology at the University of Liège
. In 1925, he received the title of "Doctor of Classical Philology". In 1927, he became a professor at l'École Royale des Cadets in Namur
.
As a schoolteacher turned professor, Grevisse realized that existing grammar guides did not answer the needs of his teaching. He gathered his notes together to produce a manuscript he called Le bon usage
.
Many renowned publishers refused his manuscript; eventually a modest publisher from Gembloux
, Belgium published it in 1936. The publishing house Duculot was launched, and the success of the work never flagged, even during the war. André Gide
, writing in Le Figaro
, cited Le Bon Usage as the best French-language grammar guide in existence.
Grevisse was named an officer of the Légion d'Honneur
in 1971. From 1967 to his death, he held a seat on the International Council for the French Language. Today his son-in-law André Goosse
, born in 1926 and also a grammarian, continues to revise Le Bon Usage which is currently at its 14th edition.
Grevisse died in La Louvière
, Hainaut, Belgium.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
grammarian.
Biography
Born in Rulles, a small village in the province of Luxembourg, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Grevisse at a young age broke with a family tradition of working as blacksmiths by deciding to become a school teacher. He attended the Normal School of Carlsbourg, where he received his teacher's diploma in 1915. He then entered the Normal School of Malonne and became a form-master of literature. He received a position as a teacher of French at l'École des Pupilles of the army of Marneffe. During this period, he taught himself Latin and Greek. While continuing to proceed in his career, he read classical philology at the University of Liège
University of Liège
The University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
. In 1925, he received the title of "Doctor of Classical Philology". In 1927, he became a professor at l'École Royale des Cadets in Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
.
As a schoolteacher turned professor, Grevisse realized that existing grammar guides did not answer the needs of his teaching. He gathered his notes together to produce a manuscript he called Le bon usage
Le Bon Usage
Le Bon Usage , informally called Le Grevisse, is a prescriptive book about French grammar first published in 1936 by Maurice Grevisse, and periodically revised since...
.
Many renowned publishers refused his manuscript; eventually a modest publisher from Gembloux
Gembloux
Gembloux is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur, on the axis Brussels-NamurOn 1 January 2006 the municipality had 21,964 inhabitants...
, Belgium published it in 1936. The publishing house Duculot was launched, and the success of the work never flagged, even during the war. André Gide
André Gide
André Paul Guillaume Gide was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947. Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the symbolist movement, to the advent of anticolonialism between the two World Wars.Known for his fiction as well as his autobiographical works, Gide...
, writing in Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
, cited Le Bon Usage as the best French-language grammar guide in existence.
Grevisse was named an officer of the Légion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1971. From 1967 to his death, he held a seat on the International Council for the French Language. Today his son-in-law André Goosse
André Goosse
André Goosse is a Belgian grammarian born in 1926. The son-in-law of Maurice Grevisse, he took over editing and updating Grevisses' last book, Le Bon Usage. In 1988, he married the Belgian writer France Bastia...
, born in 1926 and also a grammarian, continues to revise Le Bon Usage which is currently at its 14th edition.
Grevisse died in La Louvière
La Louvière
La Louvière is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. La Louvière's municipality includes the old communes of Haine-Saint-Paul, Haine-Saint-Pierre, Saint-Vaast, Trivières, Boussoit, Houdeng-Aimeries, Houdeng-Gœgnies, Maurage, and Strépy-Bracquegnies...
, Hainaut, Belgium.
External links
- Biographie (biography on the federal web site of Belgium)
- Bibliographic information on the 13th edition of Le Bon Usage
- Information, in French, regarding the 14th edition of Le Bon Usage