The correspondence of Jan Marek Marci and his relation to Arabic

Among the many professional interests of Czech physician and polymath Jan Marek Marci of Kronland (1595–1667) were Oriental languages, particularly Arabic and Hebrew. References to his linguistic skills can be found both in the eulogies written in Marci’s honor after his death and in his correspondence, particularly in letters he exchanged with Athanasius Kircher and Juan Caramuel. From the letters addressed to Kircher, it is clear that Marci was dependent on selfstudy in his study of Arabic. Reports of his progress in his studies and the difficulties he encountered as a self-taught student are the subject of a number of his letters, most intensively in the years 1642–1643. The letters reveal which specific grammars and dictionaries Marci had at his disposal and which texts he read. The passages mentioned do not allow us to assess Marci’s knowledge of Arabic in its entirety. From the choice of texts studied, it can be inferred that Marci was probably motivated to study by his interests in the natural sciences, but his interest in the missionary activities of the Catholic Church, connected with the translation of theological writings into Oriental languages, may also have played a role. The philological prestige enjoyed by Arabic within the res publica litteraria cannot be overlooked either.