ANDERSON, Nikolai Karl Adolf (Russian Nikolaj Ivanovič Anderson). Kullina-Mühle (now Kulina, Estonia) 24.9.(6.10.)1845 — Narva 9.(22.)3.1905. Russian (Estonian German) Linguist, IE and Finno-Ugrian Scholar. Son of the tenant Johann Anderson. Educated in 1859-64 at Reval Gymnasium in Tallinn, then 1865-72 studied IE and Germanic Philology at Dorpat (Tartu, under Leo Meyer). Cand. Phil. 1875 there, Magister 1891. In 1872-94 taught (as Oberlehrer für alte Sprachen) at a Gymnasium in Minsk. Eo. Professor of Finno-Ugric at Kazan University in 1894–1905. Also interested in Sanskrit. From 1898 suffered of nervous disease. Married 1874 Adele Vogt, their son was folklorist Walter Anderson (1885–1962), Professor at Tartu and, after war, at Kiel, who occasionally included Indian material in his comparative studies. Two other sons were scientists. Anderson believed in IE-Uralic common origin. He published very little.

Publications: Probe einer vergleichenden Grammatik der ugrofinnischen und indogermanischen Sprachen. 1876; mag.diss. Studien zur Vergleichung der ugrofinnischen und indogermanischen Sprachen. I. 322+5 p. Dorpat 1879 (= Verh. der Gel. Esthn. Ges. 9, 49-370).

– Wandlungen der anlautenden dentalen Spirans im Ostjakischen. 345 p. St.P. 1893; a few short articles on Finno-Ugrian.

Sources: Deutsch-Baltisches Biogr. Lexikon 1710–1960; Biogr. slovar’ Kazan 1904, 25f.; B. Munkácsi, Keleti Szemle 6, 1905, 180f.; *W. Schlüter, Sb. der gel. Esthn. Ges. 1906, xii-xvi; E.N. Setälä, FUFAnz 5, 1905, 187-189; Wikipedia with photo.