Jamail Center for Legal Research
Tarlton Law Library

Ragueau, François, d. 1605.

Ragueau's Glossaire du Droit Francais : French Law

Ragueau first published his dictionary in 1583, hoping to emulate classical authors like Zenon and Plutarch, who founded and developed the examination of words as an art form. He believed it to be a very serious concern that words were properly comprehended and precisely defined, and believed it was his duty and fate to write his dictionary. He compiled his definitions from a wide variety of sources, but relied heavily on the works of ancient and classical Greek and Roman writers, whom he admired greatly.  His work focused on the etymologies and definitions of older words, as well as ones in current usage. He often referred to the work of another writer, stating, "One cannot do better than to report the writing of..." The work is in French, unless Ragueau was quoting or paraphrasing from Latin or Greek definitions, in which cases he left these in their original languages.

Tarlton's 1704 copy is a subsequent edition, revised, corrected, and enlarged by Eusèbe de Laurière, a lawyer at Parliament, who added his notes to several works in the eighteenth century.

Bibliography

1. GLOSSAIRE DU DROIT FRANCAIS : contenant l'explication des mots difficiles qui se trouvent dans les ordonnances de nos roys, dans les coustumes du royaume, dans les anciens arrests et les anciens titres. Rev., cor., augm. / par Eusèbe de Laurière. 2 vols. in 1. Paris : J. et M. Guignard, 1704. CALL # France 03 R126 1704
   
   

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