DUKA, Theodor (Tivadar Duka). Dukafalva (now Dukovce in Slovakia) 22.6.1825 — Bournemouth 5.5.1908. Hungarian Physician in India and the U.K. Son of Francis de D., a landowner, and Johanna de Szeghy. Educated in Sárospatak and Eperjes, studied law at Budapest. Active in the 1848 Hungarian revolution, escaped to Germany and…
CSOMA DE KŐRÖS, Alexander (Kőrösi Csoma Sándor). Kőrös, Kovászna, Transylvania (now Chiuruş, Covasna in Romania) 27.3.1784 — Darjeeling 11.4.1842. Hungarian Tibetologist, in Ladakh and India 1822-42. Born of poor parents, András Csoma, a peasant and soldier, and Krisztina Getse (Ilona Göcz), belonging to the military nobility known as Székely (Sicules). Birth…
BÜCHLER, Pál. Bácstótváros (Tovariševo in Serbian Vojvodina) 25.1.1877 — Târgu Mureş 7.7.1946. Hungarian (of Transylvania) Philologist and Translator interested in Sanskrit. Ph.D. 1907 Budapest (diss. on Homer). In 1916/18 Oberlehrer in Marosvásárhely (now Târgu-Mureş) in Transylvania, in 1926/30 Professor at Commercial School in Târgu-Mureş, now in Romania. He translated parts…
BRASSAI, Sámuel. Torockó (now Rimetea in Romania) or Torockószentgyörgy (Coltești) 15.6.1797 or 13.2.1800 — Kolozsvár (now Cluj-Napoca in Romania) 27.6.1897. Hungarian Philosopher and Polyhistor, who translated a specimen of the Hitopadeśa in 1884. Born in a Transylvanian Saxon family, son of the elder Samuel Br., a priest and teacher, and…
BENIGNY, Gyula (Julius). 1890 — 1966. Hungarian IE Linguist. Ph.D. Teacher at Debrecen Calvinist Lyceum, from 1917 Docent of IE studies at Debrecen University, in 1932-49 eo. Ptofessor. Mainly lectured on Latin. Publications: “Die Namen der Eltern im Indoiranischen und im Gotischen”, KZ 48, 1918, 230-236; “Zur einleitenden Konjunktion vor…
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. He learnt many languages already as a schoolboy. Studied Law at Vienna and Budapest, also attended the Orientalische Akademie. Richterprüfung 1871,…
BAKTAY, Ervin (Erwin, to 1925 Baktay-Gottesmann). Dunaharaszti 24.6.1890 — Budapest 7.5.1963 (when 73). Hungarian Art Historian. Originally intended to become a painter, he studied under Simon Hollósy, whose brother Joszef was one of the first in Hungary to be interested in Buddhism. Served in WW I 1915-18. In 1926 he…
ARANY, János. Nagyszalonta (now Salonta in Romania) 2.3.1817 — Budapest 22.10.1882. Hungarian Poet. Son of György A. and Sára Megyeri. After a chequered early life he was teacher at a gymnasium in Nagykőrös from 1850, from 1860 in Budapest. 1865 secretary of the Hungarian Academy, retired in 1877. Married 1840…