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Draft:Jacques Blois (linguist)

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  • Comment: Whatever the purpose of the pairs of asterisks -- in for example Historian **Gwénaël Glatre** describes **DICAUTOM** as a **precursor to Eurodicautom**, which later became the **primary terminology tool for European translators** from the 1970s until its replacement by **IATE** in 2007. -- please remove them. Hoary (talk) 11:18, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

Jacques Blois
BornMay 27, 1922.
Brussels
DiedJuly 11, 1998.
Ixelles
NationalityBelgian
Known forDICAUTOM, Eurodicautom, French grammar (Grammaire Blois) and neologisms
Notable workGrammaire Blois, Morphologie du français pour la traduction automatique (1962)
Scientific career
FieldsComputational linguistics, Linguistics, Lexicology
InstitutionsUniversité libre de Bruxelles, Institut Supérieur de Traducteurs et Interprètes (Honorary Professor)

Jacques Blois was a Belgian linguist, grammarian, professor, and researcher in computational linguistics, recognized for his pioneering contributions to morphological analysis, terminology management, French grammar, and lexicology. He authored the widely used Grammaire Blois, published by Didier (Marcel) (Brussels / Montreal / Paris).[1][2] As a professor and researcher at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Institut supérieur de traducteurs et interprètes (ISTI), he invented the system of morphological analysis used in the core of DICAUTOM (Dictionnaire Automatique), a precursor to the Eurodicautom terminology database of the European Commission.[3] This key component of this system was detailed in Blois's 1962 work, Morphologie du français pour la traduction automatique, published under Euratom, which enabled automatic French synthesis and was tested on the IBM 1620.[4] DICAUTOM gained international recognition, notably being cited in the 1966 ALPAC report in the United States as a significant machine aid for translators.[5] **Historian John Hutchins, in his seminal work Machine Translation: Past, Present, Future, recognized Blois's work on DICAUTOM as part of the early efforts of "precursors and pioneers" in the field, highlighting its significance in the development of translation technology.**[5] Blois also made significant contributions to French grammar, syntax, and lexicology, notably through his studies on neologisms in the French press and his widely used grammar textbooks for Belgian secondary education. His work on morphological analysis was internationally recognized, earning citations in prestigious publications such as the journal Science in 1964.[6]

DICAUTOM and Eurodicautom

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Between 1961 and 1963, Blois was part of the Groupe de Linguistique Automatique at ULB, where he invented the system of morphological analysis used in DICAUTOM (Dictionnaire Automatique), an early Euratom project (contract No. 018615 CETB) aimed at automating dictionary consultation for translators in the European Community.[3] This system was a key component ensuring precise term retrieval in multilingual translation, allowing translators to build and consult dictionaries automatically for translating French into any target language with unambiguous precision.[3] Developed as a sub-product of the group's primary goal of Russian-to-French machine translation, DICAUTOM leveraged Blois's morphological analysis system and the team's expertise in lexical choice, initially honed through Russian-French dictionary concordances in physics.[3] The system was tested on IBM 1401 and IBM 7090 computers.[7] A third version, presented by Bachrach at COLING 1967 and optimized for German on an IBM 360/40, built on this foundation, enhancing contextual analysis and file structuring.[8] This work laid the groundwork for Eurodicautom, launched in 1975 as a multilingual terminology database for the European Commission, which later evolved into IATE, the current terminology tool of the European Union.[7] The significance of DICAUTOM extended beyond Europe, as it was cited by the Automatic Language Processing Advisory Committee (ALPAC) in its influential 1966 report on the state of machine translation. The committee highlighted DICAUTOM, developed by the University of Brussels for the European Coal and Steel Community, as an example of a promising "machine aid for translators," particularly in the area of automatic dictionaries. This recognition underscored the practical value of DICAUTOM's approach to morphological analysis and term retrieval in supporting human translators, in contrast to the more ambitious but less successful efforts in fully automated machine translation at the time.[5]

Grammar and syntax

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Jacques Blois authored several works on the structural analysis of the French language. His most well-known contribution in this field is the Grammaire Blois, a grammar reference widely used in education.[1][2]

Neology and lexicology

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He analyzed neologism formation in the French press, publishing "Les Néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire L'Express" in 1980, contributing to lexicological studies.[9]

Linguistic databases

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Blois contributed to the development of linguistic databases CLEF and LEXI at ISTI, based on IBM STAIRS, for terminological research.[10]

Recognition and legacy

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The impact of Blois's work on computational linguistics is evident in the **evolution of European terminology management systems**. Historian **Gwénaël Glatre** describes **DICAUTOM** as a **precursor to Eurodicautom**, which later became the **primary terminology tool for European translators** from the 1970s until its replacement by **IATE** in 2007.[11]

Blois's invention of the system of morphological analysis used in DICAUTOM gained international recognition, cited in the National Science Foundation's 1962 report[12] and a 1964 article by Victor H. Yngve in Science.[13] His 1963 work was later referenced in a 1967 COLING presentation on DICAUTOM's third version,[8] marking him as an early contributor to computational lexicography. **Historian John Hutchins, in his 1986 book Machine Translation: Past, Present, Future, included DICAUTOM among the contributions of "precursors and pioneers" in the field, emphasizing its role as a practical tool during a period dominated by ambitious but less successful attempts at fully automated translation.**[5] The practical impact of Blois's work on DICAUTOM was further evidenced by its inclusion in the 1966 ALPAC report, a pivotal evaluation of machine translation research in the United States. While the report was highly critical of fully automated machine translation systems, it praised DICAUTOM as an effective "machine aid for translators," particularly for its automatic dictionary capabilities, highlighting its role in supporting human translators.[5] This international recognition underscored the importance of Blois's contributions to the development of terminology management tools, which later influenced systems like Eurodicautom and IATE.

Beyond his work on machine translation and terminology management, Blois was an active contributor to academic research in linguistics and computational linguistics. He regularly published in Équivalences, a journal dedicated to translation studies, where he explored topics such as morphological analysis, neology, and linguistic databases.[14] His contributions to the analysis of French neologisms and structural linguistics influenced later research in lexicology and translation studies.

His methodologies continue to shape modern approaches to terminology management, particularly through tools like IATE, the European Union's successor to Eurodicautom. Though his work remains less widely known today, it has had a lasting impact on computational linguistics and multilingual translation systems.

Jacques Blois' work in computational linguistics, translation studies, French grammar, and neology has been recognized in international and contemporary academic publications, as evidenced by several independent secondary sources. As early as 1962, his book Morphologie du français pour la traduction automatique, co-written with E. Morlet, was mentioned in Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation, No. 11, a report by the National Science Foundation (NSF), highlighting his early contributions to machine translation.[15] In 1964, Analyse Morphologique Automatique du Français (1963) was referenced by Victor H. Yngve in an article in the journal Science, titled Automatic Information Processing in Western Europe, which examined European advances in information processing, further enhancing Blois' international visibility in the 1960s.[6] In 1969, L'Athénée (volume 58), published by the Federation of Belgian Public Secondary Education, cited his work, in connection with the "Grammaire Blois," demonstrating his influence in Belgian secondary education.[16] In 1970, Marche romane (volume 20), published by the Association of Romance Scholars of the University of Liège, referenced his research, possibly in the field of syntax or neology.[17] In 1972, the Revue des langues vivantes (volume 38), published by the Association of Foreign Language Teachers in Belgium, also mentioned his contributions, reinforcing his recognition in multilingual academic circles.[18]

Several of Blois's grammar textbooks were widely used in Belgian secondary education from the late 1960s to the 1980s. His educational books, particularly the series *Notre langue française*, were adopted in schools and contributed to the teaching of French grammar and syntax.

These works are now part of the **Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France)**, highlighting their historical and pedagogical significance.[19]

His influence persists in more recent studies. In 2010, Les néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire L'Express (1980) was cited in the Proceedings of the 1st International Congress on Neology in Romance Languages, published under the direction of M. Teresa Cabré by Pompeu Fabra University, a leading institution in Romance language studies, demonstrating the ongoing relevance of his research on lexical evolution.[20] In 2011, Grammaire Blois (1975) was referenced by Radka Fridrichová in an article on abbreviations in French, published in Romanica Olomucensia (vol. 23, no. 2), a peer-reviewed journal from Palacký University.[21] In 2015, François Parent, in his doctoral dissertation The Definition of the Term "Word" in Contemporary French Grammar: A Lexico-Grammatical Semantic Approach at Laval University, cited the Grammaire Blois for its contribution to the analysis of lexical and grammatical units.[22] In 2018, Audrey Roig, in Nous allons à Mons. Du régime à l'adjet, published in SHS Web of Conferences during the World Congress of French Linguistics, referenced the Grammaire Blois (1975) to illustrate the evolution of complement classification in school grammar.[23] In 2004, the Cahiers de lexicologie (issues 84-87), published by the CNRS, cited the Grammaire Blois, confirming its relevance in modern research.[24] Finally, in 2023, Stoyan Trachliev, in his dissertation at University of Salamanca, cited Structure et ponctuation by Jacques Blois (1971).[25]

These citations, spanning more than six decades and appearing in recognized academic publications, illustrate Blois' lasting influence in computational linguistics, grammar, and neology.

Fridrichová analyzes the distinction made by Blois and Bar between acronyms, abbreviations, and truncations, emphasizing their critical view on the impact of truncations in the French language. She cites Blois and Bar (1975):

"There are linguists whose definition of abbreviation is so vague that it is really difficult to determine what they mean by this notion. The authors of *Notre langue française: la grammaire* distinguish, on the one hand, acronyms or abbreviations and, on the other hand, truncations 'which should not be confused with abbreviation, appear to be a linguistic tic of our time,' and they add that 'this mode of formation – or rather deformation – is particularly widespread in student slang'" (Blois & Bar, 1975: 30).[21]

Fridrichová highlights that Blois and Bar perceive truncations as a **distortion of the language rather than an enrichment**, a perspective that still fuels linguistic debates today. This citation demonstrates the **enduring relevance of Blois's work in modern linguistic studies** and its **critical reception by researchers**.

Publications

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Books

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  • Morphologie du français pour la traduction automatique (1962, with E. Morlet)[4]
  • Analyse morphologique automatique du français (1963)[26]
  • Notre langue française. Grammaire pour toutes les classes de l'enseignement secondaire. (1972, with Marc Bar)[2]
  • Notre langue française. Textes et exercices. Classe de sixième. (1969, with Marc Bar)[27]
  • Notre langue française. Textes et exercices. Classe de quatrième. (1971, with Marc Bar)[28]
  • Notre langue française. Exercices. Classes terminales. Livre du maître. (1973, with Marc Bar)[29]
  • Notre langue française. Textes et exercices. Livre du maître. Cycle d'observation I (6e) et II (5e). Cycle d'orientation (4e). (1973, with Marc Bar)[30]
  • Précis d'analyse française. Classes de 6e, 5e et 4e. (1962, with Marc Bar)[31]
  • Les Néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire L'Express (1980)[9]

Articles

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  • "Les banques de données de l'I.S.T.I." (*Équivalences*, 1983)[32]
  • "Les néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire *L'Express* (1er trimestre de 1979, n°1434 à 1446)" (*Équivalences*, 1979)[33]
  • "Un centre de néologie à Bruxelles" (*Équivalences*, 1978)[34]
  • "Les néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire *L'Express* (IVème trimestre de 1977, n°1369 à n°1381)" (*Équivalences*, 1978)[35]
  • "Sens et structure : le problème de la traduction mécanique" (*Équivalences*, 1976)[36]
  • "Le perfectionnement de haut niveau au laboratoire de langues" (*Équivalences*, 1974)[37]
  • "Néologismes et mots oubliés" (*Équivalences*, 1973)[38]
  • "Structure et ponctuation" (*Équivalences*, 1971)[39]

Book reviews

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  • "Henry (Albert), *Métaphore et Métonymie*" (*Équivalences*, 1973)[40]
  • "Dubois (Jean), *Grammaire structurale du Français, III, La phrase et ses transformations*" (*Équivalences*, 1973)[41]
  • "Coyaud (Maurice), *Linguistique et Documentation*" (*Équivalences*, 1973)[42]
  • "Caput (Jean-Pol), *La Langue française, Histoire d'une Institution*" (*Équivalences*, 1973)[43]
  • "*Termes techniques français - Essai d'Orientation de la Terminologie*" (*Équivalences*, 1973)[44]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Jacques Blois, linguiste". Corrigeur.be. 2025. Archived from the original on 10 March 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Notre langue française. Grammaire pour toutes les classes de l'enseignement secondaire". Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France). 1972. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d "UNIVERSITÉ LIBRE DE BRUXELLES Institut de Statistique. BILAN DE 2 ANS D'ACTIVITÉ DU GROUPE DE LINGUISTIQUE AUTOMATIQUE. (P.P. GILLIS - J.M. FAVERGE - L.S. HIRSCHBERG). 1er juin 1961 - 1er juin 1963". Université libre de Bruxelles. 1963. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Morphologie du français pour la traduction automatique". Publications Office of the European Union. 1962. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e John Hutchins (1986). "Chapter 2: The precursors and the pioneers". Machine Translation: Past, Present, Future (PDF). Ellis Horwood. pp. 37–38. Bibcode:1986mtpp.book.....H. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2025. Retrieved 10 March 2025 – via MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) publications.
  6. ^ a b Victor H. Yngve (8 May 1964). "Automatic Information Processing in Western Europe". Science. 144 (3619): 626–632. Bibcode:1964Sci...144..626S. doi:10.1126/science.144.3619.626. PMID 17806984. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  7. ^ a b J. A. Bachrach; J. Blois; F. Decresy; F. Defijn; L. Hirschberg; J. Mommens (September 1963). "DICAUTOM : Consultation automatique de dictionnaires pour traducteurs humains". La Traduction Automatique. 4 (3). Euratom: 63–73. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  8. ^ a b J.A. Bachrach (23–25 August 1967). "Une troisième version du DICAUTOM". Proceedings of the 1967 International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING 1967). Grenoble, France. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Les Néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire L'Express". Office québécois de la langue française. 1980. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  10. ^ Blois, Jacques (1983). "Les banques de données de l'ISTI". Équivalences. 14 (2–3): 61–66. doi:10.3406/equiv.1983.1082. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  11. ^ Gwénaël Glatre (2023). "Le traducteur et l'ingénieur « Eurodicautom », années 1960". Digital Encyclopedia of European History. Sorbonne University, French Ministry of National Education. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  12. ^ National Science Foundation, Office of Science Information Service, ed. (1962). Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation. p. 216. Archived from the original on 15 October 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  13. ^ Victor H. Yngve (8 May 1964). "Automatic Information Processing in Western Europe". Science. 144 (3619): 626–632. Bibcode:1964Sci...144..626S. doi:10.1126/science.144.3619.626. PMID 17806984. Archived from the original on 15 October 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  14. ^ "Équivalences". Persée. Archived from the original on 15 October 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  15. ^ "Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation, No. 11". Current Research and Development in Scientific Documentation. No. 11. National Science Foundation, Office of Science Information Service. 1962. p. 216.
  16. ^ "L'Athénée, Volume 58". L'Athénée. Vol. 58. Fédération de l'enseignement moyen officiel du degré supérieur. 1969.
  17. ^ "Marche romane: Cahiers de l'A.R.U. Lg". Marche Romane. Vol. 20. Association des romanistes de l'Université de Liège. 1970. .
  18. ^ "Revue des langues vivantes, Volume 38". Revue des langues vivantes. Vol. 38. Société François Closset et Association des professeurs de langues vivantes. 1972.
  19. ^ "Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France) - Jacques Blois". Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France). Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  20. ^ "Proceedings of the 1st International Congress on Neology in Romance Languages" (PDF). Pompeu Fabra University. 2010. p. 69..
  21. ^ a b Radka Fridrichová (2011). "La problématique de la définition du mot abréviation" (PDF). Romanica Olomucensia (in French). 23 (2): 11. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  22. ^ François Parent (2015). The Definition of the Term "Word" in Contemporary French Grammar: A Lexico-Grammatical Semantic Approach (PDF) (thesis). Laval University. p. 369..
  23. ^ Roig, Audrey (2018). "Nous allons à Mons. Du régime à l'adjet" (PDF). SHS Web of Conferences. 46: 5. doi:10.1051/shsconf/20184604002.
  24. ^ "Cahiers de lexicologie, Issues 84–87". Cahiers de lexicologie. No. 84–87. Centre national de la recherche scientifique. 2004. ISBN 978-2-7453-1114-6.
  25. ^ Stoyan Trachliev (2023). The Translation of Phraseological Units in the French-Bulgarian Language Combination (PDF) (thesis) (in Spanish). University of Salamanca. p. 298..
  26. ^ Blois, Jacques (1963). Analyse morphologique automatique du français. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  27. ^ "Notre langue française. Textes et exercices. Classe de sixième". Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France). 1969. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  28. ^ "Notre langue française. Textes et exercices. Classe de quatrième". Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France). 1971. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  29. ^ "Notre langue française. Exercices. Classes terminales. Livre du maître". Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France). 1973. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  30. ^ "Notre langue française. Textes et exercices. Livre du maître. Cycle d'observation I (6e) et II (5e). Cycle d'orientation (4e)". Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France). 1973. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  31. ^ "Précis d'analyse française. Classes de 6e, 5e et 4e". Collections of the National Museum of Education - Réseau Canopé (France). 1962. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  32. ^ Jacques Blois (1983). "Les banques de données de l'I.S.T.I." Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  33. ^ Jacques Blois (1979). "Les néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire *L'Express*". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  34. ^ Jacques Blois (1978). "Un centre de néologie à Bruxelles". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  35. ^ Jacques Blois (1978). "Les néologismes dans l'hebdomadaire *L'Express*". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  36. ^ Jacques Blois (1976). "Sens et structure : le problème de la traduction mécanique". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  37. ^ Jacques Blois (1974). "Le perfectionnement de haut niveau au laboratoire de langues". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  38. ^ Jacques Blois (1973). "Néologismes et mots oubliés". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  39. ^ Jacques Blois (1971). "Structure et ponctuation". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  40. ^ Jacques Blois (1973). "Métaphore et Métonymie". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  41. ^ Jacques Blois (1973). "Grammaire structurale du Français". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  42. ^ Jacques Blois (1973). "Linguistique et Documentation". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  43. ^ Jacques Blois (1973). "La Langue française, Histoire d'une Institution". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  44. ^ Jacques Blois (1973). "Termes techniques français - Essai d'Orientation de la Terminologie". Équivalences. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
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