Diocese of Kontum publishes article on Catholic legacy of Vietnamese dictionary

The Diocese of Kontum published an article detailing how Catholic missionaries contributed to the development of the Vietnamese dictionary over three centuries. The text describes the evolution of the written language as a tool for evangelization and cultural integration.

The article identifies several missionaries who established the foundations of Vietnamese lexicography. It credits Francisco de Pina with developing research methods for the language, while Gaspar do Amaral and António Barbosa moved from early manuscripts to organized vocabulary systems. Alexandre de Rhodes is noted for synthesizing and publishing this work.

The publication also traces the refinement of the dictionary through later figures. It highlights Bishop Pierre Pigneau de Béhaine for his role in perfecting Vietnamese lexicography and mentions Jean-Louis Taberd and Philipphê Bỉnh as contributors to the continued development of the language.