PORZIG, Walter. Ronneburg/Thüringen 30.3.1895 — Mainz 14.10.1961. German IE Scholar. Professor in Bern, Jena and Mainz. Son of judge Max Porzig (1865–1910) and Hedwig Brauer. After school in Jena and Leipzig studied in 1913-14 at Jena and Leipzig (under Windisch et al.) and again, after military service, in 1919-21, now…
PORZEZIŃSKI, Wiktor Jan (Russian Viktor Karlovič Poržezinskij). Moršansk (or Temnikovo), Russia 23.7.(4.8.)1870 — Warsaw 12.4.1929. Polish Baltic and IE Linguist. Born in a Roman Catholic noble family, son of Karel P., educated in Moscow. From 1892 studies at Moscow under Fortunatov. Dr. 1903. From 1895 or 1901 taught as PD…
PORTMAN, Maurice Vidal. London, Ontario 21.3.1860 — Axbridge, Somerset 14.2.1935. British (of Canada) Naval Officer and Anthropologist in India. Son of Hon. Maurice Berkeley Portman (1833–1888) and Helen Vidal Harris (d. c. 1867). Joined Royal Marine in the age of 16. Commissioner of the Andamans in 1879–99. He had health problems,…
POŘÍZKA, Vincenc. Drahany na Morave 9.11.1905 — Prague 22.8.1982. Czech Indologist (Scholar of Hindi/Urdu). Professor in Prague. Born in Central Moravian mountain area, educated in Kroměříž. He studied Catholic theology at Olomouc. Ordained, Theol.Dr. From 1938 studies of Indology at Prague (under Pertold and Lesný). From 1942 taught Hindustani at…
POPPE, Nicholas N. (Nikolaj Nikolaevič, Nikolaus). Chefoo (Chih-fu, now Yantai in Shandong), China 27.6.(8.8.)1897 — Seattle 8.6.1991. Russian Mongolian and Altaic Scholar in the U.S.A. Son of Nikolaj Poppe, a diplomat, of a St. Petersburg family of German origin. Came to Russia in 1904, educated in St. Petersburg. Matriculated in 1916,…
POPOV, Aleksandr Vasil’evič. Druželjubovka village, Kupjansk dt., Harkiv govt. 16.11.1855 — 26.9.1880. Ukrainian Indologist. Son of a priest, educated at Kupjansk Spiritual Seminary in 1871-75. Studied Sanskrit and comparative linguistics under V. Scherzl at Harkiv, graduated in 1879. His both dissertations about Sanskrit and IE syntax were deemed remarkable and…
POPE, George Uglow. Bedeque, Prince Edward Island 24.4.1820 — Oxford 11.2.1908. British (born in Canada) Missionary Indologist (Tamil Scholar) in India and the U.K. Son of John Pope, a merchant of Cornish origin, and Catherine Uglow, they had come to Canada in 1818. The family moved soon to Nova Scotia…
PONS, Jean François. Rodez (Aveyron) 6.12.1698 — Chandernagor 1752/53. Father. S.J. French Missionary in India. Novice 1713, in 1726 arrived at Tanjore, from 1731 Superior of Bengal Mission in Chandernagor. In 1734 he visited the observatories of Delhi and Jaipur together with P. Boudier (1686–1757). Later also travelled in south,…
POLO, Marco. Venice 1254 (or 1250?) — Venice 8.1.1324. Famous Italian (Venetian) Traveller in the Middle Ages, spent many years in China. Born in a wealthy family of nobility, he left Venice in 1271 together with his father Niccolò and uncle Maffeo, who had returned from their earlier commercial visit…
POLIER, Antoine-Louis-Henri. Lausanne ?.2.1741 — near Avignon 9.2.1795. Swiss Officer and Traveller in India. Born in a French Huguenot noble family naturalized in Switzerland, son of Jacques H. E. Polier (1700–1781) and Jeanne-Francoise Moreau de Brosses. He had a good education and showed interest in mathematics. Invited by his uncle…