MARTINI, François. Can Tho, Vietnam 20.5.1895 — 18.6.1965. French Indologist and South-East Asian Scholar. Son of Corsican father and Cambodian mother. Studied law and philosophy, participated in the WW I (wounded) and after war studied languages in Paris, soon Sanskrit under S. Lévi. Diplom of Thai at É.L.O.V. 1922, from 1928 taught there Thai and Khmer (from 1947 as Professor), later also Indochinese linguistics at É.P.H.É. After WW II in Phnom Penh as General Secretary of Buddhist Institute and corresponding with É.F.E.O. From 1950 again in Paris. Married with his colleague Ginette Martini (née Terral). The major part of his research concerned Khmer language and literature. Among his students was Saveros Pou.
Publications: Diss. “Dasa-bodhisatta-uddesa, texte pâli publié avec une trad. et un index grammatical”, BEFEO 36:2, 1936, 287-413.
– “De la réduction des mots sanskrits passés en cambodgien”, BSL 50, 1954, 244-261.
– La Gloire de Rama Ramakerti: Ramayana Cambodgien. 43+243 p. P. 1978 (transl. F.M., introduction & notes by Ginette M.).
– Wrote on Khmer language and literature, one collection of poetry.
Sources: J. Filliozat, Annuaire de l’É.P.H.É. 99, 1966, 48-53 with photo and bibliography; Chercheurs d’Asie 136-138; angkordatabase-asia with photo.
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