PROJECTS OF THE IUA

The decision to prepare a new revised edition of the Nautical Glossary published by A. Jal in 1848 was taken at the International Congress of Historical Sciences held in Rome in 1955. In a framework set up by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the revision is being undertaken by a team of colleagues working at a laboratory associated with the University of Paris-Sorbonne, at Section IV of the École Pratique des Hautes Études, and at the Maritime Museum.

The founding team, under the direction of M. Mollat du Jourdin, a member of the Institute of France, and Madame C. Villain-Gandossi, Director of Research, CNRS, has taken up and developed the selection established by Jal of words of Medieval Latin and of the French language from the field of maritime history. New and revised definitions are provided for the various meanings of these terms, and for each of these meanings one or more dated textual citations are given. Finally, the New Glossary gives the equivalents in 17 European languages for each meaning. The period covered extends from the 9th to the 19th century, in other words from the time at which the great invasions made their influence felt in the Western European maritime language until the end of the period of sailing vessels.

The project was adopted by the UAI as a Category C project in 1980 on the initiative of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres.

Directed by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. Director : M. Mollat du Jourdin 1980-1998.

Project suspended in 1998.