Catholicon

dictionary by Lagadeuc

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June 24, 2026

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The Catholicon, published in 1499 and attributed to Jean Lagadeuc, is a significant work in the history of the Breton language. It is described as a Breton-Latin-French dictionary and represents a stage of Middle Breton. This dictionary is one of the earliest known texts in the Breton language, showcasing its vocabulary and structure during that period. The Breton language itself is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany, France, introduced by migrants from Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries.1

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Celtic literature
The three major periods of Breton literature
…century, when there appeared the Catholicon of Jean Lagadeuc, a Breton–Latin–French dictionary printed in 1499, and Quiquer de Roscoff’s French–Breton dictionary and conversations (printed 1616).
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…century, when there appeared the Catholicon of Jean Lagadeuc, a Breton–Latin–French dictionary printed in 1499, and Quiquer de Roscoff’s French–Breton dictionary and conversations (printed 1616).
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typography
Gutenberg and printing in Germany
…refinanced Gutenberg, there appeared the Catholicon, notable among other reasons for its early use of a colophon, a tailpiece identifying the printer and place of printing, and for the slight condensation of its type—a move toward more economic use of space on the page and greater type variety in printing.
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…refinanced Gutenberg, there appeared the Catholicon, notable among other reasons for its early use of a colophon, a tailpiece identifying the printer and place of printing, and for the slight condensation of its type—a move toward more economic use of space on the page and greater type variety in printing.
Read More