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Bretonneau, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Bretonneau, Pierre pyĕr brətônōˈ [key], 1778–1862, French physician. He performed (1825) the first successful tracheotomy for laryngeal diphtheria, wrote a treatise (1826) distinguishing betwee...

Werner, Pierre

(Encyclopedia)Werner, Pierre pyĕr vĕrˈnər [key], 1913–2002, political leader in Luxembourg. A lawyer, he held various posts in the ministry of finance after World War II. Secretary to the council of governmen...

Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Jacques Henri

(Encyclopedia)Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Jacques Henri zhäk äNrēˈ bĕrnärdăNˈ də săN–pyĕrˈ [key], 1737–1814, French naturalist and author. He was a friend of Rousseau, by whom he was strongly influen...

Barras, Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de

(Encyclopedia)Barras, Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de pōl fräNswäˈ zhäN nēkōläˈ, vēkôNtˈ də bäräˈ [key], 1755–1829, French revolutionary. Although of a noble family, he joined the Jacobins...

Laplace, Pierre Simon, marquis de

(Encyclopedia)Laplace, Pierre Simon, marquis de pyĕr sēmôNˈ märkēˈ də läpläsˈ [key], 1749–1827, French astronomer and mathematician. At 18 he went to Paris, proved his gift for mathematical analysis to...

Argenson, Marc Pierre de Voyer de Paulmy, comte d'

(Encyclopedia)Argenson, Marc Pierre de Voyer de Paulmy, comte d' märk pyĕr də vwäyāˈ də pōmēˈ kôNt därzhäNsôNˈ [key], 1696–1764, French statesman and patron of literature; younger brother of René ...

Géricault, Jean Louis André Théodore

(Encyclopedia)Géricault, Jean Louis André Théodore zhäN lwē äNdrāˈ tāōdôrˈ zhārēkōˈ [key], 1791–1824, French painter. He studied with Antoine Vernet and with Pierre Guérin, in whose studio he met...

Martin, Paul Edgar Philippe, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Martin, Paul Edgar Philippe, Jr., 1938–, Canadian politician, prime minister (2003–6) of Canada, b. Windsor, Ont. The scion of a politically active family (his father served in parliament and ran ...

Retz, Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de

(Encyclopedia)Retz, Jean François Paul de Gondi, Cardinal de zhäN fräNswäˈ pōl də gôNdēˈ, də rĕts [key], 1613–79, French prelate and political leader. He was made (1643) coadjutor to his uncle, the ar...

French literature

(Encyclopedia)French literature, writings in medieval French dialects and standard modern French. Writings in Provençal and Breton are considered separately, as are works in French produced abroad (as at Canadian ...

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