LENZ, Robert (Robert Hristianovič Lenc). Dorpat (Tartu) 23.1./4.2.1808 — St. Petersburg 30.7./11.8.1836. Russian (German from Estonia) Indologist. Son of Christian Lenz (1770–1817), the secretary of municipal council of Dorpat, and Luise Elisabeth Wolff (d. 1830), brother of the physicist Academician Heinrich Emil Lenz (1804–1865). After Gymnasium in Dorpat in 1820-24…
LEES, William Nassau. London 26.2.1825 — London 9.3.1889. British (Irish) Colonial Officer and Oriental Scholar in India, Specialist of Arabic, Persian and Hindustani. Fourth son of Sir Harcourt Lees, Bart. (1776–1852), a Protestant clergyman from Ireland, and Sophia Lyster, educated at Nut Grove and Trinity College in Dublin. In 1846…
LEBEDEV, Gerasim Stepanovič (Herasim Lebedeff). Jaroslavl 1749 (not 1746) — St.Petersburg 15.7.(27.7.)1817. Russian Musician, Traveller and Pioneer of Indology. Son of Stepan L. and his wife Paraskov’a. Father was a poor Orthodox clergyman, who did not allow him to obtain higher education. The family moved to St.Petersburg, where he studied…
LA TERZA (LATERZA), Ermenegildo. Putignano (Bari) 2.3.1866 — Naples 1939. Italian Indologist. Graduated at Naples as student of Kerbaker. In 1895-1911 schoolteacher of classical languages in several places (i. al. in Avellino). From 1904 Docent of Sanskrit at Naples (libero docente di filologia sanscrita), later Incaricato di filologia indoeuropea there.…
LARIN, Boris Aleksandrovič. Poltava 12.1.1893 — Leningrad 26.3.1964. Ukrainian Linguist in Russia, Specialist of Balto-Slavonian also interested in Sanskrit. Professor in Leningrad. Son of a schoolteacher. Educated in 1902-06 at Kamenec-Podol’skoj gimnazii and 1906-10 at Kievskoj Kollegij im. Pavla Galagana. In 1910-14 studies at Kiev University of Slavonian philology and…
LAMAIRESSE, Pierre Eugène. Châlons-sur-Marne (now Châlons-en-Champagne) 14.7.1817 — Marengo (Hadjout), Algeria 17.4.1898. French Engineer interested in India. The youngest son of Jean-Baptiste-Cyprien L., an agriculturalist, studied at École polytechnique and became a hydraulic engineer. Served as engineer in French India in 1860–66 working on dams and other irrigation projects in…
LAIDLAY, John Watson. Glasgow 27.3.1808 — 8.3.1885. British (Scottish) Archaeologist and Numismatist in India. Son of John L., a businessman, and Elizabeth Watson, educated in London. Studied chemistry under Faraday, then, for India, Hindustani in London under Gilchrist. At 17 in 1825 went to India, employed in the mercantile house…
KUDRJAVCEV, Mihail Konstantinovič. Orenburg 31.12.1910 (11.1.1911) — 4.3.1992. Russian Ethnographist of South Asia. Son of official. In 1929-32 studied at Leningrad Topographical Technical School and worked then as topographer in Yakutia. Soon became interested in ethnography and graduated 1939 from Leningrad University (Historical Faculty). Participated in the WW II in…
KRISTIANSEN, Knut. 16.5.1928 — Oslo Early July 1999 (when 71). Norwegian Indo-Iranian Linguist. Grew up in Raufoss. Student of Morgenstierne at Oslo. From 1971 until his retirement in 1998 taught Hindi, Urdu and other South Asian languages as Universitetslektor at University of Oslo. Several visits to South Asia, beginning in…
KRASNODEMBSKIJ, Valerij Evgen’evič. Kagul, Moldova 2.12.(15.12.)1907 — Penza 16.5.1942. Russian Indologist. Son of a lawyer. After studies at Odessa worked in Tashkent. From 1926 studied Indology at Leningrad. Graduated 1930 from Leningradskij Vostočnyj Institut. Docent 1935. In 1932-38 taught at Leningradskij Vostočnyj Institut and in 1934-42 at Leningrad University. In…