Case studies

The case studies in this section analyze ten samples of Leeuwenhoek's writing by closely examining the letters at the level of the words and then the sentences.

Words

  • spelling
  • capitalization
  • diction (word choice)

Sentences

  • style
  • punctuation
  • syntax (sentence structure)

The case studies then analyze the transcriptions in Alle de Brieven / Collected Letters and the translations in Philosophical Transactions, Hoole's Selected Works, and Alle de Brieven / Collected Letters.

Samples from the letters below can help quantify our understanding of Leeuwenhoek's written Dutch. All but one of the letters from which the samples came was published in Philosophical Transactions. Four were excerpted by Hoole. The ten span all six decades of Leeuwenhoek's letter-writing career. Six of them were published in Dutch and Latin by Leeuwenhoek. The ten include most of the known Philosophical Transactions translators as well as all of the Alle de Brieven / Collected Letters translators.

No date AB addressed to Philosophical Transactions translator Hoole Alle de Brieven transcriber tanslator
2 1673-08-15 2 Henry Oldenburg vol 9 no 102 Oldenburg   vol 1 p 39 Mendels Swaen
 18 1676-10-09 26 Henry Oldenburg vol 12 no 133 Oldenburg   vol 2 p 61 Mendels Swaen
 26 1678-09-27 40 Nehemiah Grew   Oldenburg   vol 2 p 381 Mendels Querido
 42 1684-07-25 81 Royal Society vol 15 no 168 Aston? vol II p 97-106, 133-134, 137-138 vol 4 p 253 Damsteegt Bunnemeijer
 43 1685-01-05 82 Royal Society vol 15 no 170 Aston? vol I p 126-128 vol 5 p 3 Damsteegt Hollander
 71 1692-03-07 119 Royal Society vol 18 no 213 Lodewijk? vol I p 24-34 vol 8 p 273 Damsteegt van Loo
 128 1700-07-09 214 Hans Sloane vol 22 no 263 Miller vol II p 235-241 vol 13 p 141 Damsteegt Dikshoorn
  1703-02-05 240 Royal Society vol 23 no 286 Chamberlayne   vol 14 p 181 Damsteegt Dikshoorn
 VII 1713-06-28 302 Royal Society vol 28 no 337 Chamberlayne   vol 17 p 121 Damsteegt Kegel-Brinkgreve
 XLVII 1720-01-09 347 Royal Society vol 31 no 367 Sprengell   vol 19 p unk Damsteegt Kegel-Brinkgreve, Anderson

 

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from each, about 1,000 words in the middle with figures

- Dutch

- Philosophical Transactions English

- Hoole

- Alle de Brieven / Collected Letters English

 

No date AB words in ms Philosophical Transactions Hoole A de Brieven
2 1673-08-15 2            
 18 1676-10-09 26            
 26 1678-09-27 40            
 42 1684-07-25 81              
 43 1685-01-05 82              
 71 1692-03-07 119              
 128 1700-07-09 214              
  1703-02-05 240              
 VII 1713-06-28 302              
 XLVII 1720-01-09 347              

 

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Count number of words

number of sentences (either period or end of paragraph)

number of paragraphs

readability of the English?