author
Oscar Dunn
1845–1885
A brilliant, short-lived voice in 19th-century Quebec letters, this journalist and lexicographer helped shape early thinking about Canadian French. His work moved easily between politics, culture, and language, leaving an influence that outlasted his brief life.
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About the author
Born in Coteau-du-Lac, Canada East, on February 14, 1845, Oscar Dunn became a journalist, essayist, and public servant in Quebec. He studied at the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe, worked in journalism from a young age, and went on to build a reputation as an energetic writer with wide interests in public affairs and literature.
Dunn is especially remembered for his role in the history of French in Canada. He wrote on language and usage at a time when questions of identity and culture were closely tied to the way French was spoken and written in Quebec. His Glossaire franco-canadien is one of the works most closely associated with his name, and later scholars have seen him as an early figure in recognizing the distinct character of Canadian French.
His career was impressive but brief. Alongside newspaper work, he also served in government, and he died in Quebec City on April 15, 1885, at just 40 years old. Even so, he remains a notable figure in Canadian literary and linguistic history.