Adriaen Verwer

Adriaen Verwer (Rotterdam, c.1655–Amsterdam, 1717) was a Dutch Mennonite merchant, scholar, philosopher and linguist. He wrote books on language, religion and maritime law. He is best known for his grammar ''Linguae Belgicae'', published anonymously in 1707. He is often regarded as the linguistic mentor of his younger friend Lambert ten Kate.

Life

Adriaen Pietersz. Verwer was born in Rotterdam in about 1655, the son of Pieter Adriaensz. Verwer. In 1680 he moved to Amsterdam, where he soon became involved in the intellectual life of the city. In 1682 he came into contact with the works and the followers of Baruch Spinoza, whose ideas he did not share. He refuted them in his book '' 't Mom-Aensicht Der Atheistery Afgerukt'', "The mask of atheism torn off", published in 1683. His ''Inleiding tot de Christelyke Gods-geleertheid'', "Introduction to Christian theology", published in 1698, examines the relationship between scientific method and theology, and lays out his belief that religious differences could be resolved by a scientific approach.

In 1707 Verwer published his ''Linguae Belgicae Idea, grammatica, poetica, rhetorica; deprompta ex adversariis Anonymi Batavi: in usum proximi amici'' ("Grammar, poetry and rhetoric of the Belgian language, from the notes of an anonymous Dutchman, for the use of a close friend"), in which he criticises the ''Nederduitsche spraekkunst'' of Arnold Moonen, published in the previous year and based on the work of earlier writers such as Joost van den Vondel. Between 1708 and 1710 Verwer defended the position he had taken in the work in a number of open letters. His work was an important influence on two Dutch linguists, his friend Lambert ten Kate (1674–1731), and Balthazar Huydecoper (1695–1778). Like Verwer, ten Kate was a Mennonite merchant; his ''Gemeenschap tussen de Gottische Spraeke en de Nederduytsche'', "Relationship between the Gothic language and Dutch", published in 1710, was written at Verwer's request, and consists in part of a letter to "A.V.", i.e., Adriaen Verwer. Verwer sent a presentation copy of this work to Adriaan Reland, professor at the University of Utrecht.

Verwer's work on maritime law, ''Nederlants see-rechten, avaryen, en bodemeryen'', "Dutch maritime law, damages, and loans", was published in 1711. It was his most successful book and was reprinted in 1716, in 1730 and in 1764.

Verwer took a keen amateur interest in mathematics, and particularly admired Isaac Newton. His copy of the first edition of the ''Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica'' (1687), extensively annotated in his hand, is preserved in the Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht.

Adriaen Verwer died in Amsterdam on 31 March 1717.

Published works

The published works of Adriaen Verwer include:
* '' 't Mom-Aensicht Der Atheistery Afgerukt door een Verhandeling van den Aengeboren Stand Der Menschen, Vervattende niet alleen een Betoogh van de Rechtsinnige Stellinge, maer ook voornamentlijk een Grondige Wederlegging van de tegenstrijdige Waen-gevoelens en in't bysonder van de geheele Sede-Konst, Van Benedictus de Spinoza''. Amsterdam:Wilhelmus Goeree, 1683.
* ''Inleiding tot de Christelyke Gods-geleertheid''. Amsterdam: Jan Rieuwertz, 1698.
* ''Linguae Belgicae Idea, grammatica, poetica, rhetorica; deprompta ex adversariis Anonymi Batavi: in usum proximi amici''. Amstelaedami: excudit Franciscus Halma, MDCCVII (1707). Reprinted 1783.

''Nederlants see-rechten; avaryen; en bodemeryen: begrepen in de gemeene costuimen vander see; de placcaten van Keiser Karel den Vijfden, 1551; en Koning Filips den II. 1563; 't Tractaet van Mr. Quintyn Weitsen van de Nederlandsche avaryen: ende daerenboven in eene verhandlinge nopende het recht der Hollantsche bodemeryen. Verklaert met aenteikeningen, ook met keurige Bijlagen; en 't laetste nieuw-gemaekt; door Adriaen Verwer''
Amsterdam: Jan Boom, 1711. Reprinted 1716, 1730 and 1764.

References

Further reading

* Adriaen Verwer, Igor van de Built (ed.). (2005). ''Taalkundige geschriften (1707-1711). Met de Letterkonstige, dichtkonstige en redenkonstige schetse van de Nederduitsche tale''. Amsterdam: Stichting Neerlandistiek VU; Münster: Nodus. .
* (2002). ''"Daer moet maer naerstig gelezen worden". Brieven over taalkunde (1708-1709)''. Amsterdam: Stichting Neerlandistiek VU; Münster: Nodus. .
* Igor van de Bilt (2008). "Amsterdams gegaap en Vondels secterijtje. Adriaen Verwer en de taal van de Statenbijbel", in: ''Ontheven aan de tijd. Linguïstisch-historische studies voor Jan Noordegraaf bij zijn zestigste verjaardag''. Lo van Driel, Theo Janssen (eds.). Amsterdam: Stichting Neerlandistiek VU; Münster: Nodus. . pp. 75–84.
* (2009). ''Landkaartschrijvers en landverdelers. Adriaen Verwer, Adriaan Kluit en de Nederlandse taalkunde van de achttiende eeuw''. Amsterdam: Stichting Neerlandistiek VU; Münster: Nodus. .
* L. van Driel (1992). "Eene geauctoriseerde tale; Adriaen Verwer, koopman, jurist en taalliefhebber". ''Voortgang; Jaarboek voor de Neerlandistiek'' 13: 121–143.
* Steffen Ducheyne, 'Adriaen Verwer (1654/5-1717) and the First Edition of the ''Principia'' in the Dutch Republic', ''Notes and Records 74'' (2020), 479-505.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsnr.2019.0008
* Henk Duits, Rob de Graaf (eds.) ( 1996). ''Lijst van bronnen genoemd in "Anonymi Batavi: Linguae Belgicae grammatica, poetica et rhetorica, curante Everhardo van Driel." (Leiden, 1783).'' Amsterdam: Stichting Neerlandistiek VU; Münster: Nodus.
* Anthony J. Klijnsmit (1991). "Spinoza en Verwer. Een zeventiende-eeuws meningsverschil over de grondslagen van de wetenschap", in: ''Accidentia. Taal- en letteroefeningen voor Jan Knol''. Jan Noordegraaf, Roel Zemel (eds.). Amsterdam: Stichting Neerlandistiek VU. . pp. 9–20.
* J.F. Vanderheyden (1957). "Adriaan Verwer; Verwer in de geschiedschrijving en over de geschiedenis van het Nederlands; Verwer en Zuid-Nederland", ''Verslagen en Mededelingen der Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie voor Taal- en Letterkunde''. 1957: 617–671.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Verwer, Adriaen
1655 births
1717 deaths
17th-century linguists
18th-century linguists
17th-century Dutch businesspeople
Linguists from the Netherlands
Writers from Rotterdam
18th-century Dutch businesspeople