Theodor Dimitrie Speranția (Romanian: [teˈodor speˈrant͡si.a];
born Theodor Dimitrie Nădejde [teˈodor diˈmitri.e nəˈdeÊ'de]; May
4, 1856 â€" March 9, 1929) was a Romanian playwright, humorist,
folklorist and journalist.Born in Deleni, Iași County, his father was
D. Nădejde, a Romanian Orthodox deacon; his son was poet Eugeniu
Sperantia;[1] and he was the cousin of political brothers Ioan and
Gheorghe Nădejde.[2] He attended primary school at Târgu Frumos,
where a teacher changed Nădejde to Speranția (both words, the first
Slavic and the second Latin in origin, signify "hope"). He then
entered the Veniamin Costachi seminary in Iași, which he left under
the influence of socialist ideas. Subsequently, he entered the
faculties of science and of literature and philosophy at the
University of Iași. Together with the Nădejde brothers and Nicolae
Russel, he published the socialist newspaper Besarabia. He entered the
Iași socialist circle in 1880 and was one of the founders of its
Contemporanul magazine, to which he contributed from 1881 to 1888. At
that point, he moved to Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu's Revista nouă.
Together with Zamfir Arbore and Ștefan Besarabeanu, he published
Amicul copiilor in 1891. He enrolled at the University of Liège,
where he earned a doctorate in literature and philosophy in 1886.
While there, he became acquainted with the European folklore revival
and delved into comparative literature. He subsequently moved to the
Romanian capital Bucharest. In 1906, in a private capacity, he taught
a course on domestic folk literature at the University of
Bucharest.[1]Speranția made his published debut with poems in
Perdaful in 1873. Publications for which he wrote include
Contemporanul, Adevărul, Convorbiri Literare, Dimineața, Drepturile
omului, Familia, Graiul nostru, Literatura și arta română, Munca
literară și științifică, Noua revistă română, Rampa, Revista
nouă and Universul literar. He edited several of his own magazines,
including Caşcavalul, Tămâia and Revista copiilor. He published
numerous books of entertaining stories (Anecdote populare, 1889;
Anecdote afumate, 1898; Anecdote botezate, 1903; Anecdote piperate,
1903; Anecdote nouă, 1909; Anecdote marinate, 1911; Anecdote cu
minuni, 1918; Anecdote cu noroc, 1918; Anecdote proaspete, 1926),
plays (Teatru, I, 1894; Mama soacra..., 1894; De necaz, 1900; Ce face
beția, 1900; Ce poate lenevia, 1908; Teatru de familie, 1912;
Curcanii, 1922; Lângă pământ, 1922), novels (Feighéla, 1902; Fete
de azi, I-II, 1908; Mă-nșală, 1921), children's stories (Chițibuș
cel drăguț, 1929) and folklore studies (Introducere în literatura
populară română, 1904; Miorița și călușarii, 1914). He was
elected a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy in 1891.[1]
born Theodor Dimitrie Nădejde [teˈodor diˈmitri.e nəˈdeÊ'de]; May
4, 1856 â€" March 9, 1929) was a Romanian playwright, humorist,
folklorist and journalist.Born in Deleni, Iași County, his father was
D. Nădejde, a Romanian Orthodox deacon; his son was poet Eugeniu
Sperantia;[1] and he was the cousin of political brothers Ioan and
Gheorghe Nădejde.[2] He attended primary school at Târgu Frumos,
where a teacher changed Nădejde to Speranția (both words, the first
Slavic and the second Latin in origin, signify "hope"). He then
entered the Veniamin Costachi seminary in Iași, which he left under
the influence of socialist ideas. Subsequently, he entered the
faculties of science and of literature and philosophy at the
University of Iași. Together with the Nădejde brothers and Nicolae
Russel, he published the socialist newspaper Besarabia. He entered the
Iași socialist circle in 1880 and was one of the founders of its
Contemporanul magazine, to which he contributed from 1881 to 1888. At
that point, he moved to Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu's Revista nouă.
Together with Zamfir Arbore and Ștefan Besarabeanu, he published
Amicul copiilor in 1891. He enrolled at the University of Liège,
where he earned a doctorate in literature and philosophy in 1886.
While there, he became acquainted with the European folklore revival
and delved into comparative literature. He subsequently moved to the
Romanian capital Bucharest. In 1906, in a private capacity, he taught
a course on domestic folk literature at the University of
Bucharest.[1]Speranția made his published debut with poems in
Perdaful in 1873. Publications for which he wrote include
Contemporanul, Adevărul, Convorbiri Literare, Dimineața, Drepturile
omului, Familia, Graiul nostru, Literatura și arta română, Munca
literară și științifică, Noua revistă română, Rampa, Revista
nouă and Universul literar. He edited several of his own magazines,
including Caşcavalul, Tămâia and Revista copiilor. He published
numerous books of entertaining stories (Anecdote populare, 1889;
Anecdote afumate, 1898; Anecdote botezate, 1903; Anecdote piperate,
1903; Anecdote nouă, 1909; Anecdote marinate, 1911; Anecdote cu
minuni, 1918; Anecdote cu noroc, 1918; Anecdote proaspete, 1926),
plays (Teatru, I, 1894; Mama soacra..., 1894; De necaz, 1900; Ce face
beția, 1900; Ce poate lenevia, 1908; Teatru de familie, 1912;
Curcanii, 1922; Lângă pământ, 1922), novels (Feighéla, 1902; Fete
de azi, I-II, 1908; Mă-nșală, 1921), children's stories (Chițibuș
cel drăguț, 1929) and folklore studies (Introducere în literatura
populară română, 1904; Miorița și călușarii, 1914). He was
elected a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy in 1891.[1]
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