BIESE, Yrjö Moses Jalmari. Helsinki 4.1.1903 — Helsinki 7.11.1983. Finnish Indologist and Linguist (Classical Philology and English). Professor in Turku. Son of Ernst Hjalmar B., a procurator, and Helmi Katarina Ahlman, a painter. Matriculated 1921 from Helsingin Normaalilyseo. Studies of classical and modern languages and Sanskrit at Helsinki: Kand.phil. 1924, M.A. 1927, Lic.phil. 1928, Ph.D. 1950. Further studies of classical languages at Innsbruck 1925, of classical and comparative philology at Lund and Basel 1926, of English and Indian philology at Oxford 1928. In 1924-28 teacher of Latin, Greek, and Swedish at his old school, 1928-46 senior teacher of Swedish and English at the same. Also taught English at War College (Sotakorkeakoulu) in 1929-57 and at Institute of Social Sciences (Yhteiskunnallinen korkeakoulu) 1932-46. From 1932 Docent of Comparative Linguistics at Helsinki University, taught also Sanskrit. In 1946-49 acting Professor of Roman Literature (Latin) at Helsinki. From 1946 Professor of English at University of Turku. Retired 1967. He also taught Sanskrit and comparative philology at Helsinki until his retirement. Married 1930 Iné Karsten (1904–2006!), an architect, one son and one daughter. Member of Finnish Academy of Science and Letters 1949, of Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters 1955.
Publications: Diss. Der spätlateinische Akkusativus absolutus und Verwandtes. 8+182 p. AASF B:22:2, 1928; other writings on classical and English philology; much used school books of English.
– “Der Gebrauch von as und bhū im Aitareyabrāhmaṇa”, Arctos 2, 1931, 44-65; “Some notes on the Formation and use of Nominal Compounds in the Rigveda”, St. Or. 11:7, 1946, 14 p.; “Some Notes on the Origin of the Indo-european Nominative Singular”, AASF B 63:6, 1950, 15 p.
Sources: Halén 1990; obituary in Helsingin Sanomat 19.11.1983; Helsingin yliopisto / Helsingfors Universitet. Opettajat ja virkamiehet / Lärare och tjänstemän 1939–1968. 1977; Turun Yliopiston opettajat ja virkamiehet. (photo, another, as young man, in the earlier ed. of the teacher catal. of Helsinki University, 1940); briefly in Finnish Wikipedia.
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