Cepeda, Francisco

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CEPEDA, FRANCISCO

Dominican missionary and grammarian; b. Spain, 1532; d. Guatemala, 1602. He entered the Dominicans in the Convent of Santo Domingo de Murcia of the province of Andaluc'a. He went to America and to Chiapas, Guatemala, before 1560 and worked as a missionary. He became prior of the Zacapula convent and was a definitor at the provincial chapters of 1580, 1587, 1591, and 1602. He also served as commissary of the Holy Office. On May 16, 1593, he was elected provincial. He is best known as a grammarian. From the writings of his Dominican comissionaries he composed a uniform simplified grammar of various native languages in the area, Artes de las lenguas de Chiapa, Zoques, Cendales (Celdales), y Cinacantecas.

Bibliography: a. de remesal, Historia general de las Indias occidentales y particular de la gobernación de Chiapa y Guatemala, 2 v. (2d ed. Guatemala City 1932). f. ximÉnez, Historia de la provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala de la Orden de predicadores, 3 v. (Guatemala City 192931).

[a. b. nieser]