Adjutor Rivard
Adjutor Rivard was a prominent Quebecois lawyer, educator, and author, born in the 1860s in Saint-Grégoire de Nicolet, Quebec. After receiving his education in Quebec City and earning a law degree from Laval University, he began practicing law in Chicoutimi and later became an elocution instructor at Laval. Rivard was deeply committed to the preservation of the French language in Canada, advocating against the influence of English and promoting the purity of French Canadian dialects. He co-founded the Société du Parler Français au Canada in 1902, contributing to efforts that elevated the status of the Québécois dialect and produced significant linguistic publications, including the dictionary Glossaire du parler français au Canada.
In addition to his linguistic pursuits, Rivard authored several novels, with his most notable works, *Cheznous* and *Chez nos gens*, reflecting realistic dialects and promoting rural values during a time of urbanization. His literary contributions, alongside his legal work and involvement in social issues, underscored his role as a social critic. Rivard was recognized for his efforts, receiving multiple honors, including being knighted in the order of St. Gregory in 1914. His legacy is marked by a commitment to French Canadian identity and language.
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Adjutor Rivard
Author
- Born: January 22, 1868
- Birthplace: Saint-Grégoire de Nicolet, Quebec, Canada
- Died: July 17, 1945
Biography
Adjutor Rivard was born in Saint-Grégoire de Nicolet, Quebec, Canada, in the 1860’s to Louis and Pamela Rivard. He spent his formative years in Quebec City, where he received a formal education. Rivard attended Laval University, where he earned his law degree. He passed the bar exam in 1891 and began practicing in Chicoutimi, Quebec. It was during this time that Rivard began pursuing his interest in language. Rivard took a position teaching elocution at a seminary. He then returned to Quebec City, where he became an elocution instructor at his alma matar, Laval University. In 1896, Rivard married a widow, Josephine Hamel, with whom he started a family.
Rivard’s entire career reflected his purist view of the French Canadian language spoken in Quebec. He welcomed some natural evolution, but was a staunch supporter of keeping the language free of outside influences such as English. In 1898, Rivard published his first work regarding the study of language, titled L’ Art de dire: Traité de lecture et de recitation, which included his main principles of elocution. Three years later, he released the phonics textbook Manuel de la parole.
In 1902, Rivard cofounded the intellectual Société du Parler Français au Canada and its associated publication Bulletin du Parler Français au Canada with Stanislas A. Lortie. Through his involvement, he fought hard against the popular conception of the Québécois dialect being an inferior form of French. Rivard was a significant contributor to the journal and helped edit the society’s dictionary, Glossaire du parler français au Canada.
Rivard further exhibited his linguistic ideals in his novels. Rivard’s two most popular works, Cheznous and Chez nos gens, use realistic dialects and local vocabulary. These books were especially popular with young French Canadian writers who shared the books’ messages supporting rural values and resisting increased urbanization. Over the course of his lifetime, Rivard published a total of eleven books. Aside from his study of language, Rivard also continued to practice law. He also published a legal study.
As articulated in his novels, Rivard was a social critic. He helped found another society called L’Action Sociale Catholique, which was an intellectual gathering for discussing social and political issues. A respected citizen, Rivard was awarded many honors and titles for his contributions to society, and in 1914 he was knighted in the order of St. Gregory.