description John Eliot Overview
John Eliot was an English Puritan missionary and a scholar of the Massachusett language in seventeenth-century New England. He produced the 1663 translation of the Bible into Massachusett, often called the Eliot Indian Bible, and published a Massachusett grammar in 1666. These works are significant both in the history of early American printing and in the written documentation of an Indigenous Algonquian language, although they were created within the context of colonial missionary activity.
help John Eliot FAQ
What language did John Eliot study and write about?
John Eliot studied Massachusett, an Indigenous language of seventeenth-century New England. His linguistic work supported religious translation and missionary activity.
What is the Eliot Indian Bible?
The Eliot Indian Bible is John Eliot's 1663 translation of the Bible into Massachusett. It is widely identified as the first complete Bible printed in an Indigenous language of the Americas.
When did John Eliot publish his Massachusett grammar?
Eliot published a Massachusett grammar in 1666. The book documented the language in written form for missionary and scholarly use.
Was John Eliot only a lexicographer?
No, he was also an English Puritan missionary and translator. His dictionaries and grammar grew out of his work communicating religious texts in Massachusett.
explore Explore More
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
