Kitajskaja grammatika (1835)

First published in 1835, the Kitajskaja grammatika by Iakinf Bičurin (1777–1853) occupies a singular place in the history of Chinese studies. Composed by a Russian Orthodox missionary to China who later became a central figure in Russian Sinology, the work reflects a moment of encounter between distinct linguistic and scholarly traditions. Though long acknowledged, it has not until now received a comprehensive and sustained analysis.

This volume offers the first critical edition and translation of Bičurin’s grammar into a Western language, opening new perspectives on its structure, sources, and aims. It situates the text within the intellectual landscape of early nineteenth-century Russia and in relation to European missionary grammars, while also engaging with the Chinese philological tradition that informed it. Particular attention is given to the adaptation of the Slavonic grammatical framework, shaped by Meletij Smotrickij and M. V. Lomonosov on categories transmitted from classical antiquity, to the description of Chinese. Combining historical inquiry with close textual analysis, this study reconsiders Bičurin’s contribution and sheds light on the broader role of vernacular grammatical traditions in the formation of modern linguistic thought.

Alessandro Leopardi received his PhD in Asian and African Civilisations from Sapienza University of Rome, Italy (2020). His research focuses on contacts between the Slavic world and China, the history of Italian Sinology, and contact linguistics. He is currently a researcher in Chinese Language and Literature at the Istituto Italiano di Studi Orientali, Sapienza University of Rome.