Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Chrétien de Troyes

(Encyclopedia)Chrétien de Troyes or Chrestien de Troyes both: krātyăNˈ də trwä [key], fl. 1170, French poet, author of the first great literary treatments of the Arthurian legend. His narrative romances, comp...

La Tour d'Auvergne, Théophile Malo Corret de

(Encyclopedia)La Tour d'Auvergne, Théophile Malo Corret de tāōfēlˈ mälōˈ kôrāˈ də lä to͞or dōvĕrˈnyə [key], 1743–1800, French soldier. Although an aristocrat, he fought for the revolutionaries i...

Peralta Barnuevo, Pedro de

(Encyclopedia)Peralta Barnuevo, Pedro de pāˈᵺrō ᵺā pārälˈtä bärnwāˈvō [key], 1664–1743, Peruvian writer. Although his major literary interests were drama and poetry, he also wrote on astronomy, ma...

hidalgo, in Spanish nobility

(Encyclopedia)hidalgo hēdälˈgō [key] [contraction of Span. hijo de algo=son of something], term designating the lowest degree of Spanish nobility, a rank above the ordinary gentry but below the great lords. The...

Aulard, Alphonse

(Encyclopedia)Aulard, Alphonse älfôNsˈ ōlärˈ [key], 1849–1928, French historian. He was the first professional historian of the French Revolution, and he devoted his life to this study. A professor at the U...

Pole, English noble family

(Encyclopedia)Pole, English noble family. The first member of importance was William de la Pole, d. 1366, a rich merchant who became the first mayor of Hull (1332) and a baron of the exchequer (1339). His oldest so...

Alvear, Carlos María de

(Encyclopedia)Alvear, Carlos María de kärˈlōs märēˈä dā älvāärˈ [key], 1789–1852, Argentine general and statesman. After distinguished service with the Spanish army in Europe, he returned to Argentin...

Malebranche, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Malebranche, Nicolas nēkôläˈ mälbräNshˈ [key], 1638–1715, French philosopher. Malebranche's philosophy is a highly original synthesis of Cartesian and Augustinian thought. Its purpose was to ...

Fouqué, Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Baron de La Motte-

(Encyclopedia)Fouqué, Friedrich Heinrich Karl, Baron de La Motte- frēˈdrĭkh hīnˈrĭkh kärl bärōnˈ də lä môt-fo͞okāˈ [key], 1777–1843, German poet and novelist. He wrote many chivalric romances, ta...

Browse by Subject