suzmccarth wrote:

>
> --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "suzmccarth" <suzmccarth@...> wrote:
> > --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels" <grammatim@...>
> > wrote:
> > > suzmccarth wrote:
> > > >
> > > > --- In qalam@yahoogroups.com, "Peter T. Daniels"
> <grammatim@...>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > This idea certainly didn't begin with DeFrancis -- it was
> > > > recognized by
> > > > > DuPonceau in 1838,
> > > >
> > > > DuPonceau's letter can be read here
> > >
> > > I'm referring to a book -- Chicago's copy was in Special Collections,
> > > i.e. Rare Books, so it wasn't possible to actually read it through!
> > >
> > > > http://pinyin.info/readings/texts/duponceau.html
> >
> > Did you follow the link. I believe it really is from that book you
> > mention. Here is the title.
> >
> > "From A Dissertation on the Nature and Character of the Chinese
> > System of Writing, by Peter S. Du Ponceau. The book was published in
> > 1838 as volume 2 of the Transactions of the Historical and Literary
> > Committee of the American Philosophical Society. For comments on
> > this work, see DeFrancis (1984)."
> >
> > Pinyin.info is a great site with chapters from many books -
> > sometimes I read the chapter then go to the library to read the
> > entire book if it is available, but not in this case. Anyway the
> > letter is truly fascinating to read.
> >
>
> DuPonceau's letter is a 4000 word document so don't write it off as
> a mere greeting. It presents his thinking in detail. Follow the link
> for once!

The letter was written between 7 and 14 July 1828 and published 10 years
later, it appears. "The elder Champollion" is probably the decipherer's
older brother.
--
Peter T. Daniels grammatim@...