Chinese Dictionary Compiled by Jesuits Published

After Fifty Two Years of Work

The Jesuit-led Ricci Institutes of Taipei and Paris, are pleased to announce the publication of the Grand Ricci, the largest Chinese-French encyclopedic dictionary ever compiled. Co-published by Desclée de Brower, this work contains 13,500 single characters and 300,000 Chinese expressions, spanning seven volumes and 9,000 pages.

The Grand Ricci, named after Matteo Ricci -- the Jesuit who initiated dialog between China and the West at the end of the 16^th century -- is a unique work, begun in 1949 by a group of Jesuits in Macao, and then in Taiwan. It is an unparalleled publication effort in any European language, covering more than 4,000 years of the history of the Chinese language, the origins of its script, and extending up to the most contemporary usage. Specialized vocabulary is organized into 180 branches of knowledge: astronomy, Buddhism, medicine, finance, etc.

Following the publication of the Petit Ricci in 1976 (6,000 characters and 50,000 expressions) and the Dictionnaire de Caractères Chinois (13,500 single characters) at the end of 1999, the Grand Ricci is the culmination of a joint effort by the Ricci Institutes of Paris and Taipei. More than 200 specialists helped prepare and edit this work, including some of the leading names in French sinology and Chinese lexicography.

This work is intended for sinologists, linguists, translators, teachers, students, and all other people interested in Chinese language and thought. It provides them with information on developments in script and changes in meanings over the years.

ISBN : 2-220-04667-2