Brabant physician and linguist. Born in Hilvarenbeek (= hence 'Becanus'), 23 June 1519; died in Maastricht, 28 June 1573. He first studied philosophy and linguistics at the University of Louvain, before starting studies in medicine at the same university in 1545. He led for some years a wandering life, visiting England, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, before settling down in Antwerp c. 1554. A partner of Plantin from 1563 till 1567, he left Antwerp for Liège in 1568 or 1569. He died on a visit to Maastricht. Renowned in his time as a physician, his two monumental works, published by Plantin, treat of philology: in these two works Goropius tries to prove at great lengths that the Dutch language, and especially the Antwerp dialect, was closest to the original language spoken by Adam and Eve in Paradise. This caused a great outcry in the academic world, and Goropius found but few admirers and followers, but if he could not prove his point he was one of the first to challenge the supremacy of the Hebrew language as being the oldest language in the world, initiating therewith the new science of comparative philology. Cf. Biographie Nationale [de Belgique], 8, 1884-85, Columns 120-123; A.F.C. van Schevensteen, 'Notes biographiques sur Joannes Goropius Becanus, médecin-philologue (1518-1573)' in Actes du 2me Congrès national des Sciences, organisé par la Fédération belge des Sociétés scientifiques, Brussels, 1935, pages 113-127; A.F.C. van Schevensteen, 'Levensschets van Goropius Becanus, geneesheer-philoloog' in Vlaamsch Geneeskundig Tijdschrift, 14, 1936, pages 3-12; P.C. de Brouwer, 'Joannes Goropius Becanus. Een der Brabantse humanisten uit de 16e eeuw' in Brabantia, 2, 1953, pages 270-281; H. de Vocht, History of the Foundation and the Rise of the Collegium Trilingue Lovaniense, 1517-1550, III, 1954, pages 309-310, IV, 1955, pages 31-40; and especially the fundamental study of E. Frederickx, Joannes Goropius Becanus (1519-1573). Leven en werk. Doctoral thesis, University of Louvain, 1973 (stenciled copy in Museum Plantin-Moretus).
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in The Plantin Press Online
(343 words)