BESCHI, Constantino Gioseffo Eusebio (Constanzo B., Constantinus Beschius, Vīra-māmunivar). Castiglione delle Stiviere near Mantua 8.11.1680 — Ambalakat near Cranganore, Kerala 4.2.1747. S.J. Italian Jesuit missionary and Tamil scholar. Nearly 40 years in India. Educated at Jesuit school in Mantua. Novice of S.J. 1698, then studies in Ravenna and in 1701-10…
BAULEZ, Marius-Joseph-Aimé. Marseille 12.9.1842 — Bangalore 29.4.1906. French Missionary in India. Ordained priest in 1865 and in 1866 went to Pondichéry. From 1869 worked in Cuddalore, 1872 in Salem, from 1874 taught Tamil at a college in Karikal, from 1875 until end stayed in Vellore. Publications: Transl. from Tamil: Le…
BÁLINT-ILLYÉS, Gábor Szentkátolnai. Szentkátolna (now Catalina in Romania) 13.3.1844 — Temesvár (now Timişoara in Romania) 25.5.1913. Hungarian Altaic Scholar, Polyglott and Linguist, also interested in Dravidian. Professor in Kolozsvár (now Cluj-Napoca in Romania). Son of Endre Bálint, of the Szekely noble family, and Agnes Illyés. He learnt many languages already…
BALDAEUS, Philippus (Philips Baelde). Delft bapt. 24.10.1632 — Geervliet 1671. Dutch Priest and Traveller. Son of Jan Baelde, a merchant, and Maria de Jomge (Junius, d. 1636), of Flemish origin, lost early his parents (1636). After Latin school in Delft studied at Groningen and, in 1650-54, Leiden universities. In 1654…
BABINGTON, Benjamin Guy. London 5.3.1794 — London 5/8.4.1865. British Physician interested in Tamil Language and Literature. Son of a London physician, William Babington (1756–1833, of Irish origin), and Martha Elizabeth Hough. Educated at Charterhouse 1803-07. He served in the navy until 1810, got then an appointment in India and went…
ATKINSON, Robert. Gateshead, Yorkshire 6.4.1839 — Rathmines near Dublin 10.1.1908. British Linguist (IE, Celtic and Sanskrit Scholar) in Ireland. Professor in Dublin. Born in Yorkshire as the only child of businessman John Atkinson and his wife Ann. Educated at Anchorage grammar school in Yorkshire. Studies at Trinity College in Dublin…
ARNOLD, J. R. pseudonyme of Arunachala Sadasivam PILLAI, a Sri Lankan Christian Tamil scholar.
Arunachala Sadasivam PILLAI, a Sri Lankan Christian Tamil scholar.
ARIEL, Édouard-Simon. Nantes 5.10.1818 — Pondichéry 23.4.1854. French Marine Officer and Indologist (Tamil scholar) in India. Son of Simon Ariel, lieutenant of royal customs in Nantes, and Victoire-Aglaë Gaultron. From 1836 in navy, 1840-44 in marine administration in Paris, then also student of Burnouf. In 1844 he went to Pondichéry…
ARDEN, Albert Henry. Longcroft, Staffordshire 5.5.1841 — on sea 7.11.1897. Rev. British Missionary in South India, a Dravidian Scholar. Son of a clerk, Thomas Arden (1796–1860), and Isabella Mary Cooper (1795–1860), educated at Kepton and Christ College, Cambridge (B.A. 1861, M.A. 1863), ordained 1864. Missionary in South India 1864-74, then…