SPECHT, Edouard Prosper Emmanuel. Paris 26.2.1843 — Paris 2.3.1906. French Sinologist. Student of Pauthier and St. Julien. From 1892 until death taught Chinese at É.P.H.É., Section des sciences historiques et philologiques. As a Sinologist he concentrated on works dealing with India or translated from Sanskrit. He was one of those…
SPEAR, Thomas George Percival. Bath, Somerset 2.11.1901 — Cambridge 16.12.1982. British Historian of India. Educated at Monkton Combe School, studies of history and theology at St.Catharine’s College, Cambridge. Ph.D. 1931. In 1924-40 taught European and English History at St.Stephen’s College in Delhi, a modern school supporting Gandhi and Tagore. During the war…
SOTNIKOV, Mihail Nikolaevič. 1??? — 19??. Russian Indologist, Specialist of Hindi Grammar. In the 1930s Docent of Indology at Leningradskij Vostočnyj Institut imeni A. S. Enukidze. Later moved to Moscow and was 1954-56 Head of Department of Indian Linguistics at Moscow Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and 1956-65 at Institute of…
SOPER, Alexander Coburn, III. Chicago 18.2.1904 — Rosemont, PA 12/13.1.1993. U.S. Art Historian. Son of Alexander Coburn Soper, Jr. (1872–1930), director of a lumber company, and Bertha G. Dunlop (1876–1952). Graduated B.A. 1925 from Hamilton College and studied architecture at Princeton (M.A. 1929). In 1935-38 living in Japan studying local…
SOOTHILL, William Edward. Halifax, Yorkshire 23.1.1861 — Oxford 13.5.1935. Rev. British Missionary in China, then Sinologist and Buddhist Scholar. Son of William Soothill (1836–1893), a textile worker. As youngster worked in a solicitor’s office in Halifax. Interrupted his studies at London University deciding to become a missionary. Ordained priest 1882.…
SONTHEIMER, Günther-Dietz. Ulm 21.4.1934 — Dossenheim bei Heidelberg 2.6.1992. German Indologist, Specialist of Law, Popular Religion and Marathi. Professor in Heidelberg. Son of Dr. Walther Sontheimer (1890–1984), a teacher and schooldirector, and Herma Dietz. During the war living in mother’s home area, in the former Prussian Posen (Poznań). In 1945-53…
SOMMER, Johann Ferdinand. Trier 4.5.1875 — Munich 3.4.1962. German classical,IE and Hittite Scholar. Professor in Jena and Munich. Son of Philipp Sommer (1845–1911), a Rechnungsrat, and Johanna Saur. Educated in Trier and Kassel, from 1893 studies at Marburg and Freiburg (Thurneysen). Ph.D. 1896 Freiburg (diss. on Celtology). Further studies at…
SOLMSEN, Felix. Schneidemühl, Hinterpommern (now Piła, Poland) 11.7.1865 — Mehlem near Bonn 13.6.1911. German Classical and IE Linguist. Professor in Bonn. Son of Heinrich Solmsen (1835–1914) and Cäcilie Leszczynski (1842–1899). Studies of Classics and Comparative Linguistics at Berlin (J. Schmidt) and Leipzig (Brugmann and Leskien). Ph.D. 1886 Leipzig. After an…
SOLF, Wilhelm Heinrich. Berlin 5.10.1862 — Berlin 6.2.1936. German Indologist and Diplomat. Born in a wealthy family, son of Hermann Solf (1826–1894), a merchant and industrialist, and Augusta Peters, who was the cousin of —> J. Wackernagel. Educated in Anklam and Mannheim. From 1881 studies of Indology and philology at…
SOKOLOV, Sergej Nikolaevič. Ozerovo village, uezd Tihvin, Čerepoveckoj gub. 8.6.1923 — 14.6.1985. Russian Iranian Scholar. Son of an official. In 1941-45 in military service. Graduated 1953 from Leningrad Oriental Faculty. Kand. filol. nauk 1958. Docent 1964. From 1956 taught at Leningrad Oriental Faculty, as translator visited Syria (1956) and U.A.R.…