The Vocabolario Italiano-Cinese of Joseph M. Pruggmayr (OCD; 1713-1791)

The essay aims to shed light on the contribution made to the field of missionary linguistics by an Austrian missionary, Joseph Maximilian Pruggmayr OCD (Order of Discalced Carmelites) (1713–1791) who spent almost fifty years in China in the second half of the 18th century. He compiled a very complete Italian Chinese dictionary entitled Vocabolario Italiano-Cinese. The dictionary made a long journey from China to Europe and although it is mentioned in some sources (always as anonymous) it has never been studied. This dictionary seems to have been neglected by scholars, which is difficult to understand, since – as will be demonstrated – it deserves our attention, not only because of its richness, but also its features.