author
Jean Humbert
1792–1851
An early 19th-century Genevan scholar, he brought Arabic language and classical mythology closer to everyday readers through practical guides and accessible books.
2 Audiobooks
Nouveau Glossaire Genevois, tome 2/2
by Jean Humbert
Nouveau Glossaire Genevois, tome 1/2
by Jean Humbert
About the author
Jean Humbert (1792–1851) was a Swiss scholar from Geneva whose work ranged across Arabic studies, classical literature, and regional language. Library records identify him as a professor of Arabic at the Academy of Geneva, as well as a correspondent of the Institut de France.
His books show a strong gift for teaching. They include a French-Arabic conversation guide, Arabic chrestomathies and anthologies, and Mythologie grecque et romaine, a work that helped introduce Greek and Roman myth to a broad 19th-century readership.
He is also remembered for his connection to Geneva's local speech through the Nouveau glossaire genevois, published in the years around his death. Taken together, his writing suggests a scholar who cared both about the ancient world and about the living language of his own city.