Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Marivaux, Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de

(Encyclopedia)Marivaux, Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de pyĕrˈ kärlāˈ də shäNblēˈ də märēvōˈ [key], 1688–1763, French dramatist and novelist. He enjoyed popularity for a time with his numerous comedies...

Augier, Émile

(Encyclopedia)Augier, Émile (Guillaume Victor Émile Augier) gēyōmˈ vēktôrˈ āmēlˈ ōzhyāˈ [key], 1820–89, French dramatist. His plays, early examples of realism, satirize the social foibles of his tim...

Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de

(Encyclopedia)Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de pyĕr ōgüstăNˈ karôNˈ də bōmärshāˈ [key], 1732–99, French dramatist. Originally a watchmaker, he rose to wealth and position among the nobility. His...

Duhem, Pierre Maurice Marie

(Encyclopedia)Duhem, Pierre Maurice Marie pyĕr mōrēsˈ märēˈ düĕmˈ [key], 1861–1916, French physicist and philosopher and historian of science. After studying at the École Normale Supérieure he taught ...

Renart, Jean

(Encyclopedia)Renart, Jean zhäN rənärˈ [key], fl. 1212, French poet. He is believed to be the author of two charming romans courtois, or metrical romances—Guillaume de Dole and L'Escoufle [the hawk] as well a...

Duan, Le

(Encyclopedia)Duan, Le: see Le Duan.

Creusot, Le

(Encyclopedia)Creusot, Le lə krözōˈ [key], city, Saône-et-Loire dept., E central France, in Burgundy. ...

Havre, Le

(Encyclopedia)Havre, Le lə äˈvrə [key], city, Seine-Maritime dept., N France, in Normandy, at the mouth of ...

Mans, Le

(Encyclopedia)Mans, Le lə mäN [key], city (1990 pop. 148,465), capital of Sarthe dept., NW France, on the Sarthe River. The historical capital of Maine, it is also an important manufacturing, commercial, educatio...

Le Moyne

(Encyclopedia)Le Moyne lə mwän [key], Canadian family. It was founded by Charles le Moyne, sieur de Longueuil, whose 11 sons were noted soldiers, explorers, and colonizers. The two most famous sons were the sieur...