John Palsgrave

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John Palsgrave (c. 1480 – 1554) was a priest of Henry VIII of England's court.

After studying at Cambridge University, he became tutor to Princess Mary Tudor in 1513, until her marriage to Louis XII of France. He accompanied her to Paris, but by 1516 he had moved to Louvain; Sir Thomas More wrote to Erasmus to recommend him.

In 1525, he was appointed tutor to Henry's illegitimate son, Henry Fitzroy

He composed L'esclarcissement de la langue francoyse (printed in 1530 in London and dedicated to Henry VIII). This book — written in English despite its French title — is said to be the first grammar of the French language. Its purpose was to help Englishmen who wanted to learn French. He also translated William Fullonius's Latin play, The Comedy of Acolastus, which he dedicated to the King.

It is also useful for understanding the history of the English language.

[edit] Bibliography

• John Palsgrave: L'éclaircissement de la langue française (1530). Texte anglais original avec traduction et notes de Susan Baddeley, Paris, Honoré Champion 2003, ISBN 2-7453-0851-3,
• John Palsgrave as Renaissance Linguist: A Pioneer in Vernacular Language Description, Gabriele Stein, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1997, ISBN 0-19-823505-4