VALDIVIA, Luis de (val-de'-ve-ah), Spanish
missionary, born in Grenada, Spain, in 1561; died in Valladolid, Spain, 5
November, 1642. He became a Jesuit in 1581, and, after finishing his studies,
was sent by his superiors to Peru. He was successively Master of Novices and
professor of theology, and labored for many years among the Indians of Chile and
Peru. He attained a perfect mastery over the Indian dialects of those countries,
and his works are of philological value. He returned to Spain
in 1621.
He wrote "Arte y gramatica de la
lengua que corre en todo el reyno de Chile con un vocabulario y confesionario"
(Lima. 1606); "Catecismo en lengua Alentina" (1602); "Arte, gramatica,
vocabulario, &c., en lengua Chilena y en las dos lenguas Alentiac y Milcocoyae,
que son las mas generales de la provincia de Cuyo en el reyno de Chile, y que
hablan los Indios Guarpes y otros" (1608); " Relación de la entrada del
presidente D. Alonso de Ribera desde Arauco a concluir paces con los Chilenos"
(1608); "Relación de su entrada en el reyno de Chile para apaciguar aquellos
rebeldes" (1612); and various other theological, historical, and linguistic
works.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 StanKlos.comTM