About Jean François Pons
Lived 1698 – 1753 (aged 54–55). Jean François Pons was a French linguist, sanskrit scholar, catholic priest, missionary and indologist.
Jean François Pons, SJ (1688–1752) was a French Jesuit who pioneered the study of Sanskrit in the West.
He published a survey of Sanskrit literature in 1743, where he described the language as "admirable for its harmony, copiousness, and energy", reporting on the parsimony of the native grammatical tradition, informing the works of de Brosses, Dow, Sinner, Voltaire, Monboddo, Halhed, Beauzée, and Hervás, and was plagiarized by John Cleland (1778).
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Important facts
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Jean François Pons?
French Jesuit
When was Jean François Pons born?
Jean François Pons was born on 6 December 1698 in Rodez.
When did Jean François Pons die?
Jean François Pons died in 1753.
What was Jean François Pons's occupation?
Jean François Pons was a linguist, sanskrit scholar, catholic priest, missionary and indologist.
What nationality was Jean François Pons?
Jean François Pons was French.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Jean François Pons
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jean François Pons. https://biography.guide/jean-francois-pons/
MLA: "Jean François Pons." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jean-francois-pons/.
Chicago: "Jean François Pons." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jean-francois-pons/.
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