Jules Meysmans
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Jules Meysmans | |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 May 1870 Jodoigne, Belgium |
| Died | 1943 (aged 72–73) |
| Occupation(s) | Stenographist, linguist |
| Known for | Creator of the word interlinguistics |
Jules Meysmans (14 May 1870 – 1943) was a Belgian stenographer and linguist, best known for coining the term interlinguistics. Meysmans invented his own shorthand system, one of several adaptations he made of existing systems. The founder of an institute for stenography, he was active in the international auxiliary language movement, supporting various projects throughout his life, including Volapük, Esperanto, Idiom Neutral, and Occidental.
Meysmans was born on 14 May 1870[1] to Pierre-Charles Meysmans in Jodoigne, Belgium. His father's work as a cadastre surveyor led the family to move often. His younger brother, Léon Meysmans, would later become a socialist politician. Meysmans was educated at a Catholic school in Tienen, before gaining a teaching licence in Ghent. In 1890, he received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in humanistic studies from the University of Ghent.[2]
The same year, he invented the "Meysmans" method of shorthand,[2] based on the Aimé Paris system – a notice in the 1922 Communal Notices of Brussels lists the "Aimé-Paris-Meysmans" system as being capable for the transcription of French, Flemish, English, and German.[3] Meysmans' system achieved some success, and was used by the Archdiocese of Kinshasa.[4] In 1897, he modified Karl Friedrich Scheithauer's shorthand system, but later stopped teaching it.[5] Meysmans was the founder of the National Institute of Stenography and Dactylography (French: Institut National de Sténographie et de Dactylographie) in Brussels, and held courses for teaching shorthand in several cities in Belgium.[1]
