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{{Short description|French linguist and writer}}
{{One source|date=January 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
'''Nicholas Adam''' (1716–1792) was a French [[linguistics|linguist]] and writer.

Born in Paris, he achieved distinction by authoring a [[grammar]] book which bore the title: ''La vraie manière d'apprendre une langue quelconque, vivante ou morte, par le moyen de la langue française'' ("True manner of learning an unspecified, living or dead language, by the means of the French language"). It consisted of five grammars: French, [[Latin language|Latin]], Italian, German, and English. He published another book which he called "''Les quatre chapitres''", on reason, self-love, love of our neighbour, and love of virtue; writing it in good and bad Latin, and good and bad French. He has also left many translations of classic works, among them, [[Alexander Pope]]'s "''[[Essay on Man]]''", [[Samuel Johnson]]'s "''[[Rasselas]]''", [[Joseph Addison]]'s "''[[Cato (tragedy)|Cato]]''", [[Edward Young]]'s "''Night Thoughts''", etc. He was a favourite of [[Étienne François, duc de Choiseul|Choiseul]], who sent him as French ambassador to [[Venetian Republic|Venice]]. It is said that he knew all the languages of Europe and possessed a rare gift of communicating his knowledge to others. For many years he had been professor of eloquence at the College of [[Lisieux]].

{{Catholic Encyclopedia |wstitle=Nicholas Adam |volume=1 |first=Thomas Joseph |last=Campbell}}

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[[Category:Linguists from France]]
[[Category:1716 births]]
[[Category:1792 deaths]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of France to the Republic of Venice]]
[[Category:18th-century French diplomats]]
[[Category:French male writers]]


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