DENIS, Eugène. Corps-Nuds, Brittany 2.2.1921 — Bangkok 11.12.1986. S.J. Father. French Missionary and Pāli Scholar in Thailand. Grew up in a deeply Catholic family. After seminary in Rennes became Jesuit novice in Laval. In 1948 sent to China, learned the language but was soon expulsed by communists in 1951. Ordained…
DEMIÉVILLE, Paul Henri. Lausanne 13.9.1894 — Paris 23.3.1979. French (born Swiss) Sinologist and Buddhist scholar. French citizen 1931. Professor in Paris. Son of Paul Demiéville (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,…
DAVID-NÉEL, Alexandra (née Louise Eugènie Alexandrine Marie David). St.Mandé (Seine) 24.10.1868 — Digne (Basses-Alpes) 8.9.1969. French Bauddha and Traveller. The only child of Louis Pierre David (1815–1904), a huguenot freemason and ardent republican, also a journalist and teacher, and Alexandrine Borleman, a Catholic Belgian. From 1873 grew up in Belgium.…
DAUMAL, René. Boulzicourt (Ardennes) 16.3.1908 — Paris 21.5.1944. French Poet interested in India. Son of anticlerical socialist teacher Lon Daumal. Educated at Lycée de Reims and Lycée Henri-IV, studies at Sorbonne. Born in rural milieu he became a socialist and active anticlerical, but at the same time he was also…
DARMESTETER, James. Château-Salins (Meurth, Lorraine) 28.3.1849 — Maisons-Laffitte near Paris 19.10.1894. French Iranian Scholar. Professor in Paris. The youngest son of Cerf (Calmann) Darmesteter (d. 1867), a Jewish bookseller and bookbinder, and Rosalie Brandeis (d. 1880), younger brother of the philologist Arsène Darmesteter (1846–1888). The surname refers to family background…
DANIÉLOU, Alain (nom-de-plume Shiva Sharan). Neuilly-sur-Seine (Seine) 4.10.1907 — Lonay, Switzerland 27.1.1994. French Musicologist deeply interested in India. Son of Charles Daniélou (1878–1953), an anticlerical Breton journalist and politician, and Madeleine Clamorgan (1880–1956), an ardent catholic from Normandy, his brother Jean Daniélou (1905–1974) was a jesuit and cardinal. Educated at…
COURTILLIER, Gaston. Buoy-Luxembourg (Aube) 20.4.1877 — ?.12.1933. French Indologist. From 1897 student of Lévi and Finot at É.P.H.É. In 1912 apparently teacher in Bastia, Corsica. In the early 1920s he was Professor at the lycée of Mulhouse, then at Lycée Fustel de Coulanges in Strasbourg and in 1924-34 also Chargé…
COURT, Claude Auguste. Grasse (or Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne, both in Alpes-Maritimes) 24.9.1793 — Paris 21.1.1880. French soldier serving as a General under Rañjit Singh, a lay Archaeologist and Numismatist. Son of an officer, André Ambroise Court (1761?–1824) and Marguerite Diaque. Educated at Lycée de Casale in Piémont in 1804-10 and in 1812-13…
COURBIN, Henri. 1??? — ????. French Teacher interested in Sanskrit. In 1931 teacher in a secondary school (lycée de Lyon) in Paris. Both Edgerton (Language 8, 1932, 304) and Rylands (BSOS 6:4, 1932, 1029) found the grammar rather acceptable as elementary book, Turner (JRAS 1934, 143-145) is slightly more critical.…
CORDIER, Palmyr Uldéric Alexis. Amancey near Besançon (Doubs) 18.2.1871 — Besançon 5.9.1914. French Physician and Indologist, an early specialist of the Āyurveda. Born in a modest family, son of insurance manager Palmyr Uldéric Cordier and Marthe Hermine Maréchal, educated in Besançon. Studied medicine in Toulon and Bordeaux, at Marine medical…