Synglosson

Rafinesque was a French polymath who worked primarily as a zoologist and botanist. His interest in linguistics led to his writing the present work. The Synglosson contains vocabulary lists documenting everything from "bread" and "bed" to "heaven" and "spirits." The represented languages with Rafinesque's notes include Chinese (015v), Japanese (021r), Arabic (027r), Polynesian (029v), Dutch (035r), Gipsy (011r), Celtic (012), Sumatran (058r), "Corean" (060v), Australian (061r, 085r, 090r) Indian (063v, 084r), Burmese (068r), Old English (048), Malayan (037r), and a list of Greek words derived from Hebrew and "akin to Oriental languages" (086r-088v). Rafinesque, a traveler, botanist, and linguist, wrote about his experiences and cataloged flora and fauna along with languages in his printed works, including his A Life of Travels and Researches in North America and South Europe… from 1802 to 1835-with sketches of his scientific and historical researches &c. (1836).