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"A man of the Enlightenment", "a national treasure" ... Rain of tributes for Alain Rey

2020-10-28T14:50:47.621Z


From linguists Bernard Cerquiglinia or Jean Pruvost to Youtubeur Squeezie, the disappearance of Petit Robert's father has shaken up the publishing world and all lovers of the French language.


Everyone has their little story with Alain Rey.

Whether we looked for a word, studied the language or offered a dictionary ... We all once opened the Little or the Big Robert.

The work for which the lexicographer dedicated his life.

"READ ALSO - Alain Rey, the father of Petit Robert, has died

His life is perhaps best told by his friends, his disciples and his colleagues.

Mathieu Avanzi, lecturer at Sorbonne University, is one of those who worked with him.

His latest book

Comme on dit chez nous

(Le Robert) was prefaced by the lexicographer.

“Alain Rey is one of the people who worked the most for the French language.

He was so cultured, so humble and so open-minded ... He was happy to have worked on this work because he was going to be able to integrate many regional words into the edition of the historical dictionary on which he was working. "

Linguist Bernard Cerquiglini refuses to speak of man in the past tense.

“He is my master and my friend.

There was about him what we love about humanism: knowledge, the warmth of knowledge and brotherhood, ”he

explains, still upset.

“He is an 18th century man.

With his death, we are losing a man of the Enlightenment. ”

A "national treasure"

For his part, Jean Pruvost, emeritus university professor remembers a sensitive man.

“He had known how to make lexicology warm and almost alive with the media and the general public.

Previously, evoking this word was reserved for Pierre Larousse.

But today, if I am called a lexicologist, it is largely thanks to Alain Rey, ”

explains the author of

The Story of the French Language

(Tallandier).

And to add:

“He took over from Paul Robert, with the same qualities, the same clarity.

He was a thoughtful man, warm and curious about everything. ”

Charles Bimbenet, director of Le Robert editions, retains the same word: curious.

“Alain Rey showed a rare curiosity.

Until the end of his days, he devoted himself to the dictionary.

He had an immense encyclopedic culture, an unlimited erudition.

He was our national treasure. ”

The living embodiment of the French language

On social networks, many word lovers have saluted the man who made the etymology earthy.

On Twitter, the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, paid tribute to

"the work of lexicology [which] has amazed generations as it brought vocabulary to life".

The cartoonist Riad Sattouf, who immortalized the lexicologist in the 2020 edition of Le Petit Robert de la langue française, said he was

"very sad" upon

learning of the death of the one

"who embodied the French language"

.

pic.twitter.com/mGqoCzXPVi

- Riad Sattouf (@RiadSattouf) October 28, 2020

Yououtubeur Squeezie has published a photo showing him all smiles alongside an enthusiastic Alain Rey, still dressed in a whimsical shirt, and the singers Bigflo and Oli.

Rest in peace Alain Rey, thank you for the adventure pic.twitter.com/pNs7dMbHv0

- Squeezie (@xSqueeZie) October 28, 2020

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-10-28

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