STEINGASS, Franz Joseph (Francis Joseph). Frankfurt/Main 16.3.1825 — ?.1.1903. German Oriental (Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit) Scholar in the U.K. Born in a Jewish family, studies at Munich. Ph.D. 1846 Munich. Around 1870 moved to England. Professor of Modern Languages at Wakefield Grammar School in Birmingham for five years, then Professor of Modern Languages and Resident Lecturer in Arabic Language, Literature, and Law at Oriental Institute in Woking. Said to have known 14 languages. Especially his Persian dictionary has been popular. Beveridge says that “he appears to have been a man of retiring habits” – he did not know him personally.

Publications: Diss. Über Geschichte, Art und Geist des Rigveda. 49 p. Munich 1846.

– English–Arabic Dictionary. 466 p. 1882; Arabic–English Dictionary. 1242 p. 1884; A Comprehensive Persian–English Dictionary. 8+1539 p. L. 1892.

– Completed the transl. of Chenery of The assemblies of Ḥarîrî. 1898.

Sources: H.B[everidge], JRAS 1903, 654f.; Buckland, Dictionary; diss. in Janert.; Wikipedia briefly.