author

Étienne Molard

d. 1825

A Lyon schoolmaster with a sharp ear for everyday speech, he is best remembered for a widely read guide to faulty expressions and usage in France, especially around Lyon. His work captures a moment when grammar, education, and regional language habits were all deeply intertwined.

1 Audiobook

Dictionnaire grammatical du mauvais langage ou, Recueil des expressions et des phrases vicieuses usitées en France, et notamment à Lyon

Dictionnaire grammatical du mauvais langage ou, Recueil des expressions et des phrases vicieuses usitées en France, et notamment à Lyon

by Étienne Molard

About the author

Born in Lyon on March 29, 1761, Étienne Molard was a teacher of grammar and Latin who spent his life in the city. He died there on March 6, 1825.

Molard is chiefly known for his language manuals, especially Dictionnaire grammatical du mauvais langage, a work aimed at correcting expressions and turns of phrase considered improper or careless. The book was associated in particular with usage in Lyon, which gives it lasting interest not just as a grammar guide, but also as a record of local speech and linguistic attitudes in early 19th-century France.

Sources found during this search also describe him as a founding member, in 1807, of the Société historique, archéologique et littéraire de Lyon. No clearly usable portrait image in a supported format could be confirmed from the pages reviewed, so no profile image is included here.