Peter Stephen Du Ponceau

Peter Stephen Du Ponceau (born Pierre-Étienne du Ponceau; June 3, 1760 – April 1, 1844) was a French-born American linguist, philosopher and jurist. After emigrating to the Thirteen Colonies in 1777, he served in the American Revolutionary War. Afterward, he settled in Philadelphia, where he lived the remainder of his years. He contributed significantly to work on the indigenous languages of the Americas, as well as advancing the understanding of written Chinese.