Thursday, January 29, 2009

Grand Alphabet Amusant

Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel)


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) ABC


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) ABCDE


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) FGH


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) IJKL


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) MNOPQ


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) RST


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) UVXYZ


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) PELLERIN


Grand Alphabet Amusant (Morel) back cover


'Grand Alphabet Amusant' by E Morel, ~1890; extracted from a pdf hosted among the ancient childrens literature at the Braunschweig Digital Library (the complete book has been posted above. There is next to no information about the illustrator online).

Note that the letter 'W' is missing. My understanding is that the traditional French alphabet lacked a 'W' and it is only used now for imported words. Wallons (Walloons) might be an exception. Any others?

7 comments :

Karla said...

A person has to like a children's alphabet that includes words like "antipathie," "effroi," and "grotesque." Then again, if I were young enough to be learning my alphabet, I might be disturbed by the activities of the "serpent" and by the extraction of the "molaire." Nightmares could ensue.

Jeanie Nelson said...

I have always been frightened and fastinated by the horrifying things that are mixed into children's stories, illustrations, and toys in the pre-20th century western world. Honestly, I don't care what decade you live in: what child wants to see someone getting a tooth ripped from its socket? Maybe we are all pansies today.

But the kangaroo and butterflies are nice...

peacay said...

..what child wants to see someone getting a tooth ripped from its socket?

I notice you have a daughter Jeanie. Heh. I suggest avoid having a son! You might be surprised by what they want.

Aubergino said...

Re French's missing 'W': I bought a French alphabet poster at the excellent Printing Museum in Nantes last fall. Each letter has three associated illustrations. For W there's a train ('wagon'), a viking-looking fellow with a horned helm ('wisigoth'!), and an elk ('wapiti'). All imports, looks like.

peacay said...

Thanks Aubergino. I studied French at school and although that's a good many years ago, I'm surprised I don't remember or never knew that the 'W' was a ring-in.

pita ou franck said...

A funny Epinal abc , great!
for the W not always on the old alphabet (now we have always the W but not many word with it in the dictionnary) not on this one and no more on this other one and yes here and niet on this one and W one here but we are lucky to find one on this erotic abc (adult only for the last!)
;-)patricia

peacay said...

Merci Patricia et félicitations à l'occasion de la naissance d'une nouvelle lettre!

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