André Goosse

André Goosse (16 – 4 August 2019) was a preeminent Belgian grammarian who dedicated his life to the preservation and evolution of the French language. He is most renowned for his stewardship of Le Bon Usage, widely considered the "bible" of French grammar, after the death of its creator and his father-in-law, Maurice Grevisse.

Goosse was born on April 16, 1926 in Liège, Belgium, he pursued his academic training at the University of Liège, where he studied under the guidance of Omer Jodogne. His early academic interests focused on the medieval period, specifically the works of 14th-century writer Jean d'Outremeuse. He defended his doctoral thesis on this subject in 1959, which was later published in 1965.

Goosse's career was marked by distinguished service in both academia and international linguistic organizations:

University Professor: He served as a professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain, specializing in French linguistics.

Leadership Roles: He held the presidency of the Conseil international de la langue française (International Council for the French Language), an organization focused on the development and promotion of the language.

Linguistic Influence: He was a member of the Académie royale de langue et de littérature françaises de Belgique from 1976 until his death.

After Maurice Grevisse's death in 1980, Goosse took on the monumental task of updating and expanding Le Bon Usage. He was responsible for the 12th through 16th editions, modernizing the text to reflect contemporary usage while maintaining its status as an authoritative reference.

In 1988, Goosse married the Belgian novelist and writer France Bastia. He remained an active voice in linguistic circles until his death on August 4, 2019 at the age of 93.