KUIPER, Franciscus Bernardus Jacobus. the Hague 7.7.1907 — Zeist 14.11.2003. Dutch Indologist, Munda and Indo-Iranian Scholar. Professor in Leiden. After school in the Hague studied classical philology, IE and Sanskrit at Leiden, also at Utrecht (Caland). Ph.D. 1934 Leiden. In 1934-39 taught classical languages at Lyceum der Carpentier Alting Sticht in Batavia (Jakarta). From 1939 Vogel’s successor as Professor of Indology at Leiden. Emeritus 1972 (succeeded by Heesterman). Married, survived by wife, three sons and a daughter.
Kuiper was a many-sided linguist, with interests ranging from IE and Veda to Sanskrit drama, Prākrit, Dravidian and Muṇḍa, also Indian and Iranian mythology. Among other things he was a pioneer of comparative Muṇḍa linguistics.
Publications: “Beiträge zur altindischen Wortforschung”, ZII 8, 1931, 241-266.– Diss. Die indogermanischen Nasalpräsentia, ein Versuch zu einer morphologischen Analyse. 1934, 2nd ed. 246 p. Amsterdam 1937.
– “Zur Geschichte der indoiranischen s-Präsentia”, AO 12, 1934, 190-306; “Indoiranica”, AO 16, 1938, 203-220, 295-326 & 17, 1939, 17-64.
– “Notes on Vedic noun-inflexion”, MKNAW 5:4, 1942, 161-256.
– Proto-Munda Words in Sanskrit. 176 p. VKNAW 51:3. Amsterdam 1948.
– “An Austro-Asiatic Myth in the Rigveda”, MKNAW 13:7, 1950, 163-182; a number of articles on Rigvedic vocabulary, e.g. “Rigvedic Loanwords”, Festschrift Kirfel 1955, 137-185; and in Festschrift Debrunner 1954, MKNAW 18:11, 1955, Annals of Or. Res. (Madras) 13, 1957, IL 19, 1958, IIJ 4, 1960 & 5, 1961 & 8, 1964 & 15, 1973; J. Gonda Vol. 1972, IT 2, 1974.
– “The Three Sanskrit Roots añc-/añj”, Vāk 2, 1953, 36-99; numerous brief articles and reviews on Sanskrit linguistics and philology, on Veda, Tamil, Munda, Iranian and Avesta, Greek, etc. in AO, TTLVI, Museum, MKNAW, Lingua, IIJ, etc.
– “Three Lexicographical Notes on the Gopālakelicandrikā”, IL 16, 1955, 86-105; “Text-critical notes on the Gopālakelicandrikā”, J. W. de Jong Vol. 1982, 287-335; “The Padmaprãbhṛtaka: Notes, Part I (0.3–18.41)”, IIJ 32, 1989, 115-140.
– “Two Problems of Old Tamil Phonology”, IIJ 2, 1958, 191-224 and other articles on Tamil in IIJ.
– Nahali. A comparative Study. 113 p. M.K.N.A.W. 25:5. 1962.
– “The genesis of a linguistic area”, IIJ 10:2-3, 1967, 81-102.
– On Zarathustra’s Language. 38 p. M.K.N.A.W. 41:4. 1978.
– Varuṇa and Vidūṣaka. On the origins of the Sanskrit drama. 252 p. VKNAW 100. 1979; Ancient Indian Cosmogony. Ed. by J. Irwin. Delhi 1983.
– Aryans in the Rigveda. 4+116 p. Leiden Studies in Indo-European 1. Ld. 1991.
– “Rigvedic loanwords”, IJDL 21:2, 1992, 1-49.
– Selected Writings on Indian Linguistics and Philology. Ed. by A. Lubotsky, M. S. Oort & M. Witzel. 566 p. Leiden Studies in Indo-European 8. Amsterdam 1997.
Sources: *T. Elizarenkova, “F.B.J. Kuiper: Fundamental Directions of His Scholarly Work”, Numen 34, 1987, 145-178; *M. Mayrhofer, AlmanachÖAW 154, 2003-04, 503-510; *M. Witzel, EJVS11, 2004, 1-17 (from IIJ 47, 2004, 173-191); Wie is dat? 1956; bibliography by A. Yuyama in Pratidanam. Indian, Iranian and Indo-European Studies presented to F. B. J. Kuiper. 657 p. Janua Ling. Series maior 34. The Hague 1968, xii-xxiv, and in IIJ 30, 1987, 159f. & 40, 1997, 101f.; Wikipedia with photo (more in German version); photo in Gonda, Indology in the Netherlands. 1964, another in Fs. 1968.
Bibliography 1978-87 by J.W. de Jong, IIJ 30, 1987, 159f. & 1987-96 by same, IIJ 40, 1997, 101f.