Jean-André Cuoq (1821–1898) was a Roman Catholic priest and a
philologist
Philology () is the study of language in oral and written historical sources. It is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics with strong ties to etymology. Philology is also defined as the study of ...
in the
Algonquin and
Mohawk languages.
Early life
Jean-André Cuoq was born on June 6, 1821, to Jean-Pierre Cuoq and Rosalie Desholme, in
Le Puy-en-Velay
Le Puy-en-Velay (, ; , before 1988: ''Le Puy'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Loire Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of south-central France.
Located near the rive ...
, France. He entered the ''Company of Saint-Sulpice'' in Paris in 1844. He was ordained as a priest in the
Order of Saint-Sulpice in December 1845. He was sent to
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, Canada, on November 29, 1846. He was then sent to the mission of the
Lac des Deux-Montagnes (
Oka, Quebec) in 1847 as a missionary to the
Nipissings.
Later life
Cuoq remained in Oka for many years as a companion of Fr. Nicolas Dufresne (1789–1863), who was the director of that mission and missionary to the
Mohawks. Cuoq at first studied Nipissing, but after Fr. Dufresne was withdrawn from the mission in 1857 and sent to a seminary in Montreal, Cuoq applied himself in studying the
Mohawk language. In 1864, Cuoq was sent to
Collège de Montréal, where he was charged with a class, remaining there two to three years, until he returned to Lac des Deux-Montagnes, where he remained until 1875. He was then attached to the parochial church of Notre Dame at Montreal, remaining there several years until he returned to the Lac des Deux-Montagnes about 1885. Due to his missionary work he was named by the Algonquins (Nipissings) , meaning "double beautiful leaf" or "second Bellefeuille", and by the Iroquois (Mohawks) , meaning "fixed star," probably because of the immobility of his left eye which had been damaged by an accident in his youth. His numerous works, all published in Montreal, gained him admission to many scientific societies of Europe and America. Cuoq died in
Oka, Quebec, 1898. The former Cuoq
Township of
Bas-Saint-Laurent, now part of
Matane Regional County Municipality, Quebec, was named in his honour.
Published works
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Le Livre de la prière; Recueil de Prière, d'Hymnes et de Cantiques chantés à l'église.'' (in Algonquin) (Montréal: John Lowell, 1852).
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Catéchisme et Cantiques.'' (in Algonquin) (Montréal: John Lowell, 1854).
*Cuoq, J. A. and "Le Ciel." ''De Riligieuse Narration. Le Livre, ou Histoire de la Religion; Résumé de l'histoire de l'Ancien Testament.'' (in Algonquin) (Montréal: J. Lowell, 1859).
*Cuoq, J. A.
Kaiatonseraseou Vade-mecum ou Chantre Iroquois.'' (in Mohawk)(Tiotaki
ontréal John Lovell, 1860).
*Mathevet, Jean Claude. (J. A. Cuoq and J. Tallet, editors). ''Vie de Notre-Seigneur.'' (in Algonquin) (Montréal: J. Valois, 1861).
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Le Libre des sept Nations, ou Paroissien Iroquois noté en plain-chant, avec quelques Cantiques algonquins.'' (Montréal: J. Lowell, 1861).
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Jugement erroné de M. Ernest Renan sur les langues sauvages.'' (Montréal: Eusèbe Sénécal, 1864)(Reprint: Montréal: Dawson, Brothers J.-B. Roland et Fils, 1869).
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Ienenrinekenstha Kanesatakeha: ou Processional Iroquois à l'usage de la Mission du Lac des Deux Montagnes.'' (in Mohawk)(Tiotaki
ontréal John Lovell, 1864).
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Catechisme algonquin avec syllabaire et cantiques: Nìina aïamie kakȣedjindiȣinimasinaigan àte gaïe aïamie nikamonan.'' (in Algonquin)(Kanactàgeng
ontréal (Lac des Deux Montangnes) John Lovell, 1865).
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Études philologiques sur quelques langues sauvages de l'Amerique.'' (Montréal: Dawson, Brothers, 1866).
*Cuoq, J. A. "Quels étaient les sauvages que rencontra Jacques Cartier sur les rives du Saint-Laurent?" in ''
Annales de philosophie chrétienne.'' (September, 1869).
*Cuoq, J. A.
Lexique de la langue Iroquoise, avec Notes et Appendices.' (Montréal: J Chapleau et fils, 1882).
*Cuoq, J. A.
Lexique de la langue Algonquine.' (Montréal: J Chapleau et fils, 1886).
*Cuoq, J. A.
Grammaire de la langue Algonquine in ''Proceedings and transactions of the Royal Society of Canada: Déliberations et mémoires de la Société royale du Canada.'' (Ottawa: Royal Society of Canada, Part 1: 1891; Part 2: 1892).
*Cuoq, J. A. "Anòtc Kekòn" in ''Proceedings and transactions of the Royal Society of Canada: Déliberations et mémoires de la Société royale du Canada.'' (Ottawa: Royal Society of Canada, 1893).
*Cuoq, J. A. and J. Tallet. ''Nouveau Manuel algonquin.'' (Montréal: J. Valois, 1893).
*Cuoq, J. A. ''Le saint Rosaire.'' (Montréal: Beauchemin,
.d.
He wrote also many other works destined to further the Christianization of Native Americans.
References
*Bertrand, Louis. "189: M. Cuoq" in
Bibliothèque sulpicienne; ou, Histoire littéraire de la Compagnie de Saint-Sulpice: XIXe siècle.' (Paris: A. Picard et fils, 1900). pp. 533–538.
*"L'Abbé Cuoq—Notice biographique" in
Proceedings and transactions of the Royal Society of Canada: Déliberations et mémoires de la Société royale du Canada.' (Ottawa: Royal Society of Canada, 1902). Transactions: Section I, Part V
p. 127–129
*Pilling, James Constantine.
Bibliography of the Algonquian Languages.' (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1891). pp. 99–102.
External links
"Jean-André Cuoq" in ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''"Jean-André Cuoq" in ''Genealogie Québec: Liste des ecclésiastiques''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuoq, Jean-Andre
1821 births
1898 deaths
French philologists
French Roman Catholic missionaries
Roman Catholic missionaries in Canada
French expatriates in Canada
People from Le Puy-en-Velay
Linguists of Algic languages
French missionary linguists