First and only edition of a rare Arabic-French language guide by the first professor of Arabic in Algiers. The work contains 25 short Arabic texts, most of them previously unpublished, accompanied by an extensive Arabic-French vocabulary. Intended for students of Arabic, it aimed not only to familiarise them with vocabulary and grammatical constructions, but also with different forms of Arabic script, so they could become proficient at both reading and writing. For this purpose, the work includes several examples of Arabic calligraphy, arranged in geometric shapes and the forms of animals.
The French orientalist Louis-Jacques Bresnier (1814-1869) was sent to Algiers in 1837, shortly after the establishment of French educational institutions there, on the recommendation of his teacher, the leading orientalist Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy (1758-1838). As professor of Arabic, Bresnier promoted a practical method of language teaching based on listening and speaking. The present work reflects this approach, combining Arabic texts and vocabulary with exercises intended to develop both reading and writing skills.
The wrappers are browned. The work is uncut and partially unopened, the leaves are occasionally stained. Otherwise in good condition. WorldCat 713882694, 1334544424, 557692830.