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Santer, Jacques

(Encyclopedia)Santer, Jacques (Jean Jacques Santer) zhäN zhäk säNtĕrˈ [key], 1937–, Luxembourg political leader and European statesman. A lawyer and economist, he entered politics as a member of the Christia...

ophicleide

(Encyclopedia)ophicleide ŏfˈĭklīd [key] [Gr.,=serpent with keys], brass wind musical instrument of relatively wide conical bore, largest of the keyed bugles; invented in 1817 by Jean-Hilaire Asté of Paris. It ...

Boieldieu, François Adrien

(Encyclopedia)Boieldieu, François Adrien fräNswäˈ ädrēăNˈ bwäldyöˈ [key], 1775–1834, French composer. He studied with the organist of the cathedral in Rouen and composed one successful opera, Le Calife...

Chabanel, Noël

(Encyclopedia)Chabanel, Noël (St. Noël Chabanel) nôĕlˈ shäbänĕlˈ [key], 1613–49, French missionary in North America, a Jesuit. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1630, came as a missionary to New France ...

Malthus, Thomas Robert

(Encyclopedia)Malthus, Thomas Robert mălˈthəs [key], 1766–1834, English economist, sociologist, and pioneer in modern population study. A graduate of Cambridge, he was a professor at the East India College, Lo...

Henry, Pierre Georges

(Encyclopedia)Henry, Pierre Georges, 1927–2017, French composer noted for his contributions to electronic music. He studied with Nadia Boulanger and Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory, where he met Pierre...

Beauvoir, Simone de

(Encyclopedia)Beauvoir, Simone de sēmônˈ də bōvwärˈ [key], 1908–86, French author. A leading exponent of existentialism, she is closely associated with Jean-Paul Sartre, with whom she had a life-long relat...

Breton literature

(Encyclopedia)Breton literature brĕtˈən [key], in the Celtic language of Brittany. Although there are numerous allusions in other literatures of the 12th to 14th cent. to the “matter of Brittany,” which incl...

Marquesas Islands

(Encyclopedia)Marquesas Islands märkāˈsäs [key], volcanic group (2002 pop. 8,712), South Pacific, a part of French Polynesia. There are 12 islands in the group, which lies c.930 mi (1,500 km) NE of Tahiti. The ...

Menasha

(Encyclopedia)Menasha mənăshˈə [key], city (1990 pop. 14,711), Winnebago co., E Wis., on Lake Winnebago and the Fox River, adjacent to its twin city of Neenah; settled 1840s, inc. 1874. Menasha's large paper-ma...