LAET, Joannes de (Latin: Ioannes Latius). Antwerpen Fall 1581 (not 1593) — buried the Hague 15.12.1649. Flemish Geographer, Philologist and Naturalist, who wrote from secondary sources a well known book on India. Son of a cloth merchant, Hans de Laet, who as a protestant fled to north in 1584, when…
LADONNE, Justin Arthur. Bordeaux 20.5.1832 — Bassens (Gironde) 30.8.1889. French self-taught Sanskritist in Bordeaux, where he gave a “cours libre de sanskrit” at Faculté de Lettres in 1886–89.Son of Erasme Ladonne (1802–1833) and Marthe Durant (1814–1877). He was a landowner and belonged to local scholarly societies. Married 1864 Marie Louise Laure Balguerie…
LANGENHOVE, George Charles van. Lokeren, East Flanders 19.3.1892 — Ghent 14.7.1943 (when 51). Belgian Linguist (Anglist and Germanist). Educated in Amsterdam, studies at Ghent (mainly Germanic). M.A. 1919. Worked as teacher. Ph.D. 1925 (diss. on English). From 1926 taught at Ghent, from 1930 Ord. Professor of General, IE and Germanic…
LUBOCKAJA, Natal’ja Julianovna. Moscow 24.2.1933 — 4.1.1985. Russian Indologist. Daughter of an official. Graduated 1955 from Moscow National Pedagogical Institute, 1958 passed foreign language courses. Kand. ist. nauk 1972. In 1957-76 naučnyj sotrudnik at Oriental Institute of Soviet Academy in Moscow. Publications: About 10 publications, e.g.: – Kand diss. Drevneindijsk.…
LOMAN, Johannes Reinoud Abraham. Amsterdam 3.11.1908 — 1976. Dutch Indologist. Son of Abraham Dirk Loman (1868–1954), a composer, and Gerarda Alida Lütkeman (1869–1942), an opera singer. Studied history at Amsterdam and worked as teacher of history. After the WW II studies of Indology under Scharpé, Galestin and van Lohuizen-de Leeuw.…
LJAPUNOV, Boris Mihajlovič. Bolobonovo, Simbirsk guv. 6.8.(25.7.)1862 — Borovoe (now Burabej in Kazakhstan) 22.2.1942 (or 1943). Russian Linguist. Son of Mihail Vasil’evič Ljapunov (1820–1868), an astronomer, and Sofia Aleksandrovna Šipikova (1825–1879). Graduated 1885 St.Petersburg (Jagić). Also student of Fortunatov. After a brief time as Lecturer at Harkiv (1897–99) he was…
LITMAN, Aleksej Davydovič. v. m. Staraja Sinjava, Podol’sk. gub. 27.12.1923 — 21.8.1992. Russian Marxist Philosopher specializing in India. Son of a civil servant. In 1941-45 in Red Army. Graduated 1950 from Philosophical Faculty of Moscow University. Kand. filosofskih nauk 1956. Dr. filos. nauk 1975. In 1951-56 Secretary in Tadzhik Academy.…
LINWOOD, William. Birmingham 16.1.1817 — West Bromwich, Staffordshire 7.9.1878. Rev. British Classical Scholar. Son of William Linwood (1788–1853), a merchant, and Mary Iliffe Swinfen. After Birmingham grammar school studied Classics and Sanskrit at Oxford (Christ Church) from 1836 (won 1839 Boden Sanskrit Scholarship). B.A. 1839, M.A. 1842. He took orders…
LEYDEN, Rudolf von. Berlin 8.8.1908 — Vienna 25.3.1983. German Geologist. Son of Victor von Leyden, a lawyer. As a geologist travelled in India and became interested in art, especially in playing cards. Fleeing Nazis as a Marxist he settled in Bombay (1940-53) socializing with Indian artists and making modern Indian…
LEVERTOV, Priscilla Denise. Ilford, London 24.10.1923 — Seattle 20.12.1997. British-born poetess in the U.S.A. Daughter of Paul Levertov a Russian Hashidic Jew, who took Christianity, moved to the U.K. and became Anglican priest. Her mother was Beatrice Adelaide Spooner-Jones. Educated at home. In 1947 she married Mitchell Goodman (1923–1997), an…