José da Fonseca

José da Fonseca was a 19th-century Portuguese linguist and lexicographer best known for his work on Portuguese-English and Portuguese-French dictionaries. His most notable publication was "A New Pocket Dictionary of the Portuguese and English Languages" published in 1836. Da Fonseca gained recognition for his unintentionally humorous phrasebook "O Novo Guia da Conversação em Português e Inglês" (The New Guide to Conversation in Portuguese and English), published in 1855. This work later became known as "English as She is Spoke" when published in England, and achieved cult status for its awkward, often nonsensical translations. The author spent much of his career in Paris, where he collaborated with other scholars on various linguistic works and educational texts. His publications, while intended as serious academic resources, have endured more as historical curiosities that demonstrate the challenges of early language translation efforts. Beyond his linguistic works, da Fonseca also contributed to Portuguese literature through various compilations and educational texts used in 19th-century language instruction. His legacy rests primarily on his role in early Portuguese-English language education, though more for its inadvertent entertainment value than scholarly merit.

Readers primarily know da Fonseca through "English as She is Spoke," which has developed a cult following for its translation errors. The book has 3.8/5 stars on Goodreads across 412 ratings. Readers appreciate: - The unintentional humor in mistranslations - Historical value as an example of early translation attempts - Entertainment value of literal Portuguese-to-English conversions "Pure comedy gold" - Goodreads reviewer "A fascinating window into 19th century language learning" - Amazon review Common criticisms: - Limited practical use as an actual phrasebook - Repetitive content - Poor organization of entries "More a novelty than a serious reference work" - Goodreads review While his dictionaries and educational texts saw practical use in their time, modern readers engage with his work primarily for amusement. Mark Twain's quoted review captures the common sentiment: "Nobody can add to the absurdity of this book, nobody can imitate it successfully."

A New Pocket Dictionary of the Portuguese and English Languages (1836) A comprehensive Portuguese-English dictionary created for language learners and translators.

English as She Is Spoke (1855) Originally titled "O Novo Guia da Conversação em Português e Inglês," this Portuguese-English phrasebook became famous for its unintentionally incorrect and often humorous translations.

Rolland's and Lenoir's New Pocket Dictionary of the Portuguese and English Languages (1823) A collaborative language dictionary work focusing on Portuguese and English vocabulary and usage.

Le Nouveau Guide de la Conversation en Portugais et en Français (1853) A Portuguese-French conversation guide and phrasebook for language learners.

Pedro Carolino Co-authored "English as She is Spoke" with da Fonseca and produced similarly unintentional humor in translation works. His collaboration with da Fonseca produced one of the most famous examples of mistranslation in linguistic history.

Richard Garnett Published works on Portuguese linguistics and translation in the 19th century, focusing on comparative philology. His academic approach to translation between English and Portuguese languages paralleled da Fonseca's work.

António Feliciano de Castilho Created Portuguese language teaching methods and linguistic works in the 1800s while working in Paris. He shared da Fonseca's focus on educational texts and Portuguese language instruction for foreign learners.

Mark Twain Wrote about linguistic mishaps and authored a famous review of "English as She is Spoke." His commentary on language and translation brought wider attention to da Fonseca's work in the English-speaking world.

Francisco Solano Constâncio Produced Portuguese-French dictionaries and language guides during the same period as da Fonseca in Paris. His work on Portuguese linguistics and dictionary compilation directly paralleled da Fonseca's career path and publishing focus.