Amyot, Joseph

Related Category: Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches: General Biographies

(zhôzĕf´ ämyō´), 1718–1794?, French Roman Catholic missionary in China, a Jesuit. He wrote a long treatise on the history, sciences, and customs of the Chinese (15 vol., 1776–89). He was one of the first Europeans to make Chinese literature, antiquities, and customs known to Europe. He was an early authority on the Manchu language.