From Jesuit Missionaries to Scholars of Sinology. Crossing Linguistic Boundaries through Editing Hungarian–Chinese Dictionaries (Panel)

Type of Abstract (select): Panel Discussion

Abstract (max. 250 words):
Facing a new society, one of the first boundaries to overcome is the one of linguistic differences. Especially so in cases when already the script is unintelligible at first sight, such as in Hungarian–Chinese encounters. Nevertheless, numerous tools can facilitate negotiating and reimagining this boundary, of which dictionaries are traditionally regarded as crucial. Thus, it is hard to wonder that subsequent generations of Hungarians, who aimed to develop a better understanding of China, embarked on the tedious journey of compiling bilingual dictionaries. The exact methods, scope, and motivation of these compiling generations, however, display significant differences, which can provide insights into the development of bilateral relations between the two countries. Therefore, this presentation aims to provide an overview of the dictionary writing processes of the last century, starting from the Hungarian Jesuit missionaries in the Chinese town of Daming, through the works of professors Hamar Imre, Bartos Huba, and Galambos Imre around the turn of this century, to the current magnum opus of the Akadémiai Kiadó. After a historical overview of earlier editions, the presentation will detail the editorial process of the most recent version, of which the author himself was part for the last more than two years.

My paper is part of the proposed CESAR Panel
Name of the proposed panel: CESAR Panel - Trajectories of academic study of religions in Central and Eastern Europe.
Panel lectures:
1. Márk, Nemes and Boros, Péter - Introduction of CESAR at AHEA 2024
2. Márk, Nemes - The study of new religions in Hungary before and after the fall of the Iron Curtain
3. Péter Boros - From Jesuit Missionaries to Scholars of Sinology.
Crossing Linguistic Boundaries through Editing Hungarian–Chinese Dictionaries


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Peter Boros is a third-year sinology Ph.D. student at Eötvös Loránd University focusing on Buddhist–Christian dialogue in early 20th century China. His main research concerns Buddhist master Taixu’s approach towards Christianity, while also engaging in interreligious dialogue research in a broader sense, as exemplified by his recent comparison of Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh’s understanding of contemplation–meditation. He holds two MA degrees in international relations from Peking University, and Central European University. Additionally, he received the Fulbright Scholarship for AY 2024/25, and was recipient of the Hungarian New National Excellence Program scholarship in AY 2022/23 and 2023/24.