ERPENIUS (

See also:

• ORIGINAL

original name

See also:

• VAN

VAN ExpE),

See also:

• THOMAS
• THOMAS (c. 1654-1720)
• THOMAS (d. 110o)
• THOMAS, ARTHUR GORING (1850-1892)
• THOMAS, CHARLES LOUIS AMBROISE (1811-1896)
• THOMAS, GEORGE (c. 1756-1802)
• THOMAS, GEORGE HENRY (1816-187o)
• THOMAS, ISAIAH (1749-1831)
• THOMAS, PIERRE (1634-1698)
• THOMAS, SIDNEY GILCHRIST (1850-1885)
• THOMAS, ST
• THOMAS, THEODORE (1835-1905)
• THOMAS, WILLIAM (d. 1554)

THOMAS (1584–1624)  , Dutch Orientalist, was born at Gorcum, in Holland, on the rith of September 1584 . After completing his early education at Leiden, he entered the university of that city, and in 16o8 took the degree of master of arts . By the advice of Scaliger he studied Oriental languages whilst taking his course of theology . He afterwards travelled in England, France, Italy and Germany, forming connexions with learned men, and availing himself of the information which they communicated . During his stay at Paris he contracted a friendship with Casaubon, which lasted during his life, and also took lessons in Arabic from an Egyptian, Joseph Barbatus, otherwise called Abu-dakni . At Venice he perfected himself in the Turkish, Persic and Ethiopic languages . After a long absence, Erpenius returned to his own country in 1612, and on the loth of February 1613 he was appointed professor of Arabic and other Oriental languages, Hebrew excepted, in the university of Leiden . Soon after his settlement at Leiden, animated by the example of Savary de Breves, who had established an Arabic press at Paris at his own charge, he caused new Arabic characters to be cut at a great expense, and erected a press in his own house . In 1619 the curators of the university of Leiden instituted a second chair of Hebrew in his favour . In 162o he was sent by the States of Holland to induce Pierre Dumoulin or Andre Rivet to settle in that country; and after a 'second journey he was successful in inducing Rivet to comply with their request . Some time after the return of Erpenius, the states appointed him their interpreter; and in this capacity he had the duty imposed upon him of translating and replying to the different letters of the Moslem princes of Asia and Africa . His reputation had now spread throughout all Europe, and several princes, the kings of England and Spain, and the archbishop of Seville made him the most flattering offers; but he constantly refused to leave his native country .

He was preparing an edition of the

Koran with a Latin translation and notes, and was projecting an Oriental library, when he died prematurely on the 13th .of November 1624 . Among his works may be mentioned his Grammatica Arabica, published originally in 1613 and often reprinted; Rudiments linguae Arabicae (162o) ; Grammatica Ebraea generalis (1621) ; Grammatica Chaldaica et Syria (1628); and an edition of Elmacin's History of the Saracens .