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Jules GillieronLinguist
Date of Birth: 01.12.1854
Country:  Switzerland |
Content:
Biography of Jules Gilliron
Jules Gilliron (1854-1926) was a Swiss linguist and the founder of linguistic geography. Born on December 1, 1854, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, he studied in Neuchâtel, Basel, and Paris, where his teachers included M. Bréal and A. Darmesteter. From 1876, he taught at the School of Advanced Studies in Paris, and in 1883, he became the head of the department of Gallo-Romance dialectology. Together with J.P. Russel, Gilliron founded the journal "Revue des patois gallo-romans" (Journal of Gallo-Romance dialects) from 1887 to 1892. He served as the president of the French Dialectological Society from 1893 to 1900. Gilliron passed away on April 26, 1926, in Sornet-sur-Glaise, Switzerland.
Founder of Linguistic Geography
Jules Gilliron is renowned as the founder of linguistic geography and the author of the method of mapping dialectal phenomena. Alongside E. Edmond, an amateur enthusiast who became his closest assistant, Gilliron produced the Linguistic Atlas of France (Atlas linguistique de la France). Published from 1902 to 1909, it consisted of 35 volumes (1920 maps), with additional supplements released from 1914 to 1923. This work documented not only the dialects of France but also those found throughout the French-speaking Europe.
Etymology and Views
In addition to his contributions to linguistic geography, Gilliron was also involved in etymology. He opposed the ideas of Neogrammarians and engaged in discussions with them, often referring to phenomena such as folk etymology and paronymy (sound resemblance of words with similar meanings).
