The Archæologus by Henry Spelman: an Important Source for Gilles Ménage’s Dictionnaire étymologique, ou Origines de la langue françoise (1694)

Abstract

This article presents the Glossarium archaiologicum by the English scholar Henry Spelman as an important source of Gilles Menage’s Dictionnaire etymologique, ou Origines de la langue francoise (1694). After a brief presentation of Spelman and his work, the article studies the way in which Menage uses Spelman’s etymologies, showing that he was often able to benefit from Spelman’s great expertise in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Latin. In particular, some examples are provided of how Menage used Spelman’s explanations of Latin words in order to reject and correct the etymologies of earlier scholars. It is finally shown that Spelman made important advances in etymological research by considering cultural history and evaluating diverging opinions of other scholars. Thus, the article also aims at demonstrating that Spelman’s Glossarium had a conceptual impact on Menage, leading him to overcome some of the methodological shortcomings of the etymological methods of his time.