The Renaissance polymath who tried to fix French spelling and named our large numbers

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Jacques Pelletier du Mans was a quintessential Renaissance figure, moving effortlessly between mathematics, medicine, and poetry. While he helped launch the careers of France's most famous poets, his lasting legacy lies in his radical attempts to reform French orthography and his pivotal role in standardizing how we name large numbers.

Born in 1517, Pelletier was a man of immense intellectual breadth. Educated at the Collège de Navarre, he spent his life navigating the elite humanist circles of the 16th century, from the court of Marguerite de Navarre to friendships with Michel de Montaigne. His contributions were as varied as his travels; he published scientific treatises, translated classical works by Horace and Homer, and wrote encyclopedic poetry about the heavens. Yet, he was never content with mere scholarship, often seeking to reshape the tools of communication themselves.

In 1550, Pelletier tackled the inconsistencies of the French language, which had become cluttered with awkward spellings intended to mimic Latin roots. He proposed a phonetic-based system in his 'Dialogue on French spelling and pronunciation,' introducing new typographic signs to force a closer alignment between written and spoken French. He was so committed to this vision that he adopted these phonetic spellings in all his subsequent publications, including the spelling of his own name.

Beyond linguistics, Pelletier left a permanent mark on mathematics. He championed the use of the term 'milliard' for large numbers, building upon the earlier work of Nicolas Chuquet. While the specific value assigned to 'milliard' shifted over the following century—eventually settling at 10 to the power of 9—his influence remains embedded in the long scale naming conventions used in many countries today. Whether through his poetry, his medical critiques of Galen, or his mathematical nomenclature, Pelletier embodied the restless, reforming spirit of the French Renaissance.

Pelletier’s career was marked by a constant search for intellectual engagement, leading him to hold various academic positions, including director of the College of Le Mans. Despite his prolific output, he remained a restless spirit, resigning from posts that bored him and traveling across Europe. By the time of his death in 1582, he had left behind a body of work that bridged the gap between the ancient classics and the emerging scientific rigor of the modern era.

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