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next François Marie Arouet ![]() Pseudonyms: Abbé ** Abbé *** Abbé Bigex Abbé Bigore Abbé Caille Abbé d’Arty Abbé de Saint-Pierre Abbé de Tilladet Abbé Mauduit Abbé Tamponet Académicien B. Alexis, archevêque de Novogorod Amabed Ancien Avocat Belleguier Anne Dubourg Antoine Vadé Archevêque de Cantorbéry Beaudinet, citoyen de Neufchâtel Caius Memmius Gemellus Cass ***, avocat un Conseul de Rois Catherine Vadé Chapelain du Cte de Chesterfiels Charles Gouju Chevr de M…re Chevr de Molmire Chevr de Morton Chevr de Saint-Gile Cloepitre Cte Da Cte de Cobera Cte de Tournay Cte Physicien de Saint-Flour D., chapelain de s.e. Mgr le Cte de K… D*** M*** Damilaville De La Lindelle Démad Des Amateurs Desjardins Desmahis Docteur Obern Dom Calmet Dominico Zapata Don Apuleius Risorius Dr Good Natur’d Wellwisher Dr Goodheart Dumarsais Dumoulin Ératou Évhémère Fatema Feu l’abbé Bazin Feu M. de Saint-Didier Firmin Abauzit Formey Gabriel Grasset et associés Gaillard d’Étallonde de Morival Genest Ramponeau George Aronger Dardelle George Avenger Gérofle Guillaume Vadé Hude, échevin d’Amsterdam Hume, prêtre écossais Imhof Irénée Aléthès, professor du droit dans le canton suisse d’Uri Ivan Aléthof, secrétaire de l’Ambassade russe Jacques Aimon Jean Plokof Jérôme Carré John Dreamer Joseph Bourdillon, professor en droit public Joseph Laffichard Josias Rossette L’Auteur de ‘L’Homme aux quarante écus’ L’Auteur de la tragédie des ‘Guèbres’ L’Auteur du ‘Compère Mathieu’ L’Humble Evêque d’Alétopolis L’Ignorant La Roupillière Lantin, neveu de M. Latin et de feu l’abbé Bazin Le Chrétien errant Le Corps des Pasteurs du Gévaudan Le Curé de Frêne Le Curé Meslier Le Docteur Akakia, médecin du pape Le Dr Ralph Le Gardien des Capucins de Raguse Le Jésuite des anguilles Le Muphti Le Neveu de l’abbé Bazin Le P. Fouquet Le P. Quesnel Le Papa Nicolas Charisteski Le Pasteur Bourn Le Rabbin Akib Le Secrétaire de M. de Voltaire Le Secrétaire du Prince Dolgorouki Le Sieur Aveline Le Vieillard du Mont-Caucase Les Cinquante Lord Bolingbroke Lord Cornsbury M. Clair M. de Chambon M. de L’Écluse M. de la Caille M. de La Visclède M. de Maulépm M. de Morza M. Huet M. L*** M. le Chevr Durand M. Mamaki Mairet Maxime de madaure Mayor Kaiserling Mis de Vilette Mis de Ximénez Mr Sherloc Naigeon Needham Plusieurs Aumôniers Prêtre Montmolin R.P. Élie, carme chaussé R.P. L’Escarbotier R.P. Polycarpe, prieur des Bernardins de Chésery Rapterre Robert Covelle Sadi Saint-Hiacinte Scarmentado Sieur Tamponet, docteur en Sorbonne Soranus, médecin de Trajan Théro Thomson Tompson Trois Avocats d’un Parliament Un Académicien de Berlin Un Académicien de Londres, de Boulogne, de Pétersbourg, de Berlin etc. Un Académien de Lyon Un Amateur de belles-lettres Un Auteur célèbre qui s’est retiré de France Un Avocat de Besançon Un Avocat de province Un Bachelier ubiquiste Un Bénédictin Un Bénédictin de Franche-Comté Un Bourgeois de Genève Un Chrétien… Un Citoyen de Genève Un Ecclésiastique Un Frère de la Doctrine chrétienne Un Gentilhomme Un Homme de lettres Un Jeune Abbé Un Membre d’un corps Un Membre des nouveaux conseils Un Membre du Conseil de Zurich Un Professeur de droit public Un Proposant Un Quaker Un Turc Un Vieux Capitaine de cavalerie Une Belle Dame Une Société de bachelirs en théologie Verzenot Voltaire Youssouf François-Marie Arouet (1694–1778), known by his nom de plume Voltaire, was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher; famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic Church, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the separation of church and state. Voltaire was a versatile writer, producing works in almost every literary form, including plays, poems, novels, essays, and historical and scientific works. He wrote more than 20,000 letters and more than 2,000 books and pamphlets. He was very outspoken; despite the risk this placed him in under the strict censorship laws of the time. From early on, Voltaire got in to trouble with the authorities for even mild critiques of the government and religious intolerance. These activities were to result in numerous imprisonments and exiles. As a satirical polemicist, he frequently made use of his works to criticize intolerance, religious dogma, and the French institutions of his day. The name ‘Voltaire’, which the author adopted in 1718, after his incarceration at the Bastille, is an anagram of ‘AROVET LI,’ the Latinised spelling of his surname Arouet, and the initial letters of ‘le jeune’ (the young). The name also echoes in reverse order the syllables of the name of a family château in the Poitou region: ‘Airvault’. However the name may also have been taken from the village Volterre. Voltaire-biographer Richard Holmes supports this derivation of the name, but adds that a writer such as Voltaire would have intended it to also convey its connotations of speed and daring. These come from associations with words such as ‘voltige’ (acrobatics on a trapeze or horse), ‘volte-face’ (a spinning about to face one's enemies), and ‘volatile’ (originally, any winged creature). ‘Arouet’ was not a noble name fit for his growing reputation, especially given that name's resonance with ‘à rouer’ (‘to be broken on the wheel’ – a form of torture then still prevalent) and ‘roué’ (a ‘débauché’). His adoption of a new name, is seen by many to mark Voltaire’s formal seperation from his family and his past. In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Rousseau in March 1719, Voltaire concludes by asking that, if Rousseau wishes to send him a return letter, he do so by addressing it to Monsieur de Voltaire. A post-scriptum explains: ‘J'ai été si malheureux sous le nom d'Arouet que j'en ai pris un autre surtout pour n'être plus confondu avec le poète Roi’ [I was so unhappy under the name d'Arouet that I took another, primarily so that I would cease to be confused with the poet Roi]. This probably refers to Adenes le Roi, (the 'oi' diphthong was then pronounced as modern French pronounces 'ai', so the similarity to 'Arouet' is clear), and thus, it could well have been part of his rationale. Voltaire is additionally known to have used at least 172 separate pen names during his lifetime. A list of Arouet’s pseudonyms translated: – Alexis, archevêque de Novogorod = Alexis, archbishop of Novogrod – Ancien Avocat Belleguier = Former Advocate Belleguier – Archevêque de Cantorbéry = Archbishop of Canterbury – Beaudinet, citoyen de Neufchâtel = Beaudinet, citizen of Neufchâtel – Cass ***, avocat un Conseul de Rois = Cass***, advocate to the King’s Council – Chapelain du Cte de Chesterfiels = Chaplain to the Count of Chesterfield – D., chapelain de s.e. Mgr le Cte de K… = D., chaplain to his Eminence Monseigneur the Count of K… – Des Amateurs = Some Devotees – Dumarsais = Du Marsay – Feu l’abbé Bazin = The Late Father Bazin – Feu M. de Saint-Didier = The Late M. de Saint Didier – Hude, échevin d’Amsterdam = Hute, deputy mayor of Amsterdam – Hume, prêtre écossais = Hume, a Scottish priest – Irénée Aléthès, professor du droit dans le canton suisse d’Uri = Irénée Aléthès, professor of law in the Swiss canton of Uri – Ivan Aléthof, secrétaire de l’Ambassade russe = Ivan Aléthof, secretary at the Russian embassy – Joseph Bourdillon, professor en droit public = Joseph Bourdillon, professor of civil law – L’Auteur de ‘L’Homme aux quarante écus’ = The Author of ‘The Man with Forty Crowns’ – L’Auteur de la tragédie des ‘Guèbres’ = The Author of ‘The Gabars’ – L’Auteur du ‘Compère Mathieu’ = The Author of ‘Comrade Mathieu’ – L’Humble Evêque d’Alétopolis = The Humble Bishop of d’Alétopolis – L’Ignorant = The Ignorant One – Lantin, neveu de M. Latin et de feu l’abbé Bazin = Lantin, nephew of M. Lant and of the Late Father Bazin – Le Chrétien errant = The erring Christian – Le Corps des Pasteurs du Gévaudan = The Pastors of Gevaudan – Le Curé de Frêne = The Vicar of Frêne – Le Docteur Akakia, médecin du pape = Doctor Akakia, physican to the Pope – Le Gardien des Capucins de Raguse = Guardian of the Capuchins of Ragusa – Le Jésuite des anguilles = The Jesult of the eels – Le Neveu de l’abbé Bazin = The Nephew of Father Bazin – Le P. Fouquet = Father Fouquet – Le Rabbin Akib = Rabbi Akib – Le Secrétaire de M. de Voltaire = The Secretary to M. de Voltaire – Le Secrétaire du Prince Dolgorouki = The Secretary to Prince Dolgorouki – Le Vieillard du Mont-Caucase = The Old Mand of Mount Caucasus – Les Cinquante = The Fifty – M. Huet = Hut – M. le Chevr Durand = Knight Durand – Mis de Vilette = Marquis de Villette – Mis de Ximénez = Marquis de Ximenez – Plusieurs Aumôniers = Several Chaplains – R.P. Élie, carme chaussé = The Reverend Father Elies, calced Carmelite – R.P. Polycarpe, prieur des Bernardins de Chésery = The Reverend Father Polycarp, prior of the Bernardines of Chésery – Sieur Tamponet, docteur en Sorbonne = Mr. Tamponet, doctor at the Sorbonne – Soranus, médecin de Trajan = Soranus, physician to Trajan – Trois Avocats d’un Parliament = Three advocates from one Parliament – Un Académicien de Berlin = An Academie from Berlin – Un Académicien de Londres, de Boulogne, de Pétersbourg, de Berlin etc. = An Academian from London, Boulogne, Petersburg, Berlin, etc. – Un Académien de Lyon = An Academien from Lyons – Un Amateur de belles-lettres = A Lover of the Humanities – Un Auteur célèbre qui s’est retiré de France = A Famous Author Who Has Left France – Un Avocat de Besançon = An Advocate from Besançon – Un Avocat de province = A Provincial Advocate – Un Bachelier ubiquiste = A Ubiquitous Graduate – Un Bénédictin = A Benedictine – Un Bénédictin de Franche-Comté = A Benedictine from Franche-Comte – Un Bourgeois de Genève = A Township of Geneva – Un Chrétien… = A Christian… – Un Citoyen de Genève = A Citizen of Geneva – Un Ecclésiastique = An Ecclesiastic – Un Frère de la Doctrine chrétienne = A Brother of the Christian Doctrine – Un Gentilhomme = A Gentleman – Un Homme de lettres = A Man of Letters – Un Jeune Abbé = A Young Priest – Un Membre du Conseil de Zurich = A Member of the Zurich Council – Un Membre des nouveaux conseils = A Member of the New Council – Un Membre d’un corps = A Member of the Body – Un Professeur de droit public = A Professor of Civil Law – Un Proposant = A Divinity Student – Un Quaker = A Quaker – Un Turc = A Turk – Un Vieux Capitaine de cavalerie = An Old Cavalry Captain – Une Belle Dame = A Beautiful Lady – Une Société de bachelirs en théologie = A group of Theology Graduates Sources: Room, A. (1981), ‘I. Pseudonyms Used by Voltaire’, Naming Names, pp.332–334 ‘Voltaire’, Wikipedia, retrieved 14 September 2013 previous A–Z next |