Abstract
This article examines the role of the myth of Babel in Renaissance reflections on language. Focusing on Claude Duret’s encyclopedic work on the history and diversity of languages, it analyzes how Renaissance thought reinterpreted the biblical account of Babel in relation to the search for an original, universal, and perfect language. The study discusses the central place accorded to Hebrew, the influence of Christian Kabbalah, and the tension between theological explanations of linguistic diversity and emerging humanist, historical, and anthropological approaches to languages. By comparing the treatment of Hebrew, Greek, and other languages, the article shows how the Renaissance both preserved and moved beyond the traditional myth of Babel, opening the way to a broader understanding of language as a cultural and historical phenomenon.
Recommended Citation
Zhiri, Oum El Banine
(1991)
"The Myth of Babel in Renaissance Reflections on Language,"
Bouhout: Vol. 4:
Iss.
1, Article 14.
Available at:
https://scholarhub.univh2c.ma/bouhout/vol4/iss1/14