This article ponders the identity of the author of the Grammaire générale et raisonnée (GGR): the book was published anonymously in 1660, but it is well-known that the authors are Antoine Arnauld and Claude Lancelot. In the Preface, Lancelot claims to be simply the secretary of Arnauld. In fact, an extensive review of the text and of its context shows that Lancelot’s contribution is greater than he had claimed. The almost exclusive use of “Je” (“I”) to put forward the most original theoretical points as well as many cross references between GGR and Lancelot’s Nouvelle Méthode latine and Nouvelle Méthode grecque are evidence that he was the real author of the book. Lancelot had fully endorsed the proposals of Arnauld and stated them with the greatest conviction, even if he brought some nuances to the editions of 1664 and 1676.
Article language: French
