João Rodrigues |
|---|
| Born | 1561 or 1562
|
|---|
| Died | 1633 or 1634
|
|---|
| Occupation(s) | Linguist, interpreter and missionary |
|---|
| Known for | early linguistic works on Japanese; introducing Western science and culture to Korea |
|---|
João Rodrigues (1561 or 1562 – 1633 or 1634), distinguished as Tçuzu and also known by other names in China and Korea, was a Portuguese sailor, warrior, and Jesuit interpreter, missionary, priest, and scholar in Japan and China. He is now best known for his linguistic works on the Japanese language, including The Art of the Japanese Language. He was also long erroneously supposed to have been the main compiler of the first Japanese–Portuguese dictionary, published in 1603.