DILLON, Emile Joseph [in French also used E. de Dillon]. Dublin 21.3.1855 (or 1854?) — Barcelona 9.6.1933. British Linguist and Journalist. Son of Irish father, Michael Dillon, and English mother, Mary Byrne. Originally trained for priesthood, studied at Clonliffe College in Dublin, Pantasaph monastery in Wales, Seminary of St.Sulpice, France,…
DILLMANN, Christian Friedrich August. Illingen bei Maulbronn 25.4.1823 — Berlin 4.7.1894. German Semitic Scholar, famous Pioneer of Ethiopian Studies. Professor in Berlin. Son of Elias Dillmann (1794–1877), a school principal, and Christiana Louisa Wiemeg (1790–1835). Studied theology and philology at Tübingen, mainly under Ewald, but also Roth and Schleicher. Ph.D.…
DEWHURST, Robert Paget. Clitheroe, Lancashire 21.7.1869 — 27.12.1935. British Civil Servant and Indologist in India. Son of James Dewhurst and Frances Elizabeth Paget. Educated at Clitheroe Grammar School, studies from 1888 at Oxford (Balliol College, M.A.). In 1892 joined the I.C.S., served in North India. Back in Britain (1904?), he…
DE VINCENTIS, Gherardo. 1845 — 19??. Italian Iranian (Persian) Scholar, also interested in Sanskrit. Professor of Persian at Regio Istituto Orientale di Napoli: incaricato 1878, eo. 1890, ord. 1904-07. Died before 1935. Publications: Il Gulistan, ossia il Roseto dello Scheich Sadi di Schiraz. Prima versione italiana … con commentario critico…
DEVÈZE, Gérard. Nîmes 5.8.1856 — 19??. French Journalist (?) interested in Sanskrit, Tamil and Urdū. At É.L.O.V. student of Vinson, diplome of Tamil (1885) and of Hindūstānī (1891), also diplome of É.P.H.É. (in Sanskrit?). Editor of Magasin pittoresque in Paris (1917). Publications: “Une légende çivaiste d’après une version de l’Inde…
DEUSSEN, Paul Jakob. Oberdreis/Westerwald, Kr. Neuwied 7.1.1845 — Kiel 6.7.1919. German Indologist and Philosopher. Professor in Kiel. Son of Adam Deussen (1801–1887), a minister, and Jakobine Ingelbach. Attended Gymnasium in Elberfeld and Landesschule in Pforta, where his classmate and future life-long friend Friedrich Nietzsche introduced him to Schopenhauer’s philosophy. In…
DE STEFANI, Eduardo Luigi. Naples 4.6.1869 — Rome 10.9.1921 (hardly 1913?). Italian Linguist (Greek Scholar) interested in Indology. Professor in Rome. After studies at Florence under Pavolini he was appointed in 1910 the “incaricato dell’ insegnamento della grammatica latina e greca” at R. Università di Roma (La Sapienza) and stayed…
DESGRANGES, Jean-François (Pouillon-Desgranges). Bonneval (Eure-et-Loir) 30.9.1765 — Paris 8.11.1848 (or 1851). French Former Priest and Teacher, the author of the first French Sanskrit grammar. Because of missing information and misinformation (he is often claimed to be an officer), this was very hard nut to crack, only solved through the valuable…
DE’ NOBILI DE MONTEPULCIANO, Roberto (Robertus de Nobilibus, Tattuvapodagar [‑pōtakar]). Montepulciano near Siena 1577 — Mailapur (Chennai) 16.1.1656. S.J. Italian Missionary in South India. Born of a family of high nobility (related to the Duke of Modena), joined the S.J. in 1597. Studies of theology in Naples and Rome. In…
DEMIÉVILLE, Paul Henri. Lausanne 13.9.1894 — Paris 23.3.1979. French (born Swiss) Sinologist and Buddhist scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Paul D. (1855–1947, Professor of Medicine at Lausanne) and Annette Manuel. After gymnasium in Bern studied history of music and Russian at Munich, London, Edinburgh and Paris, dr. degree in…