taine

noun

1. Hip·po·lyte A·dolphe [ee-paw-leet a–dawlf] /i pɔˈlit aˈdɔlf/, 1828–93, French literary critic and historian.

noun

1. Hippolyte Adolphe (ipɔlit adɔlf). 1828–93, French literary critic and historian. He applied determinist criteria to the study of literature, art, history, and psychology, regarding them as products of environment and race. His works include Histoire de la littérature anglaise (1863–64) and Les Origines de la France contemporaine (1875–93)