LAET, Joannes de (Latin: Ioannes Latius). Antwerpen Fall 1581 (not 1593) — buried the Hague 15.12.1649. Flemish Geographer, Philologist and Naturalist, who wrote from secondary sources a well known book on India. Son of a cloth merchant, Hans de Laet, who as a protestant fled to north in 1584, when…
LADONNE, Justin Arthur. Bordeaux 20.5.1832 — Bassens (Gironde) 30.8.1889. French self-taught Sanskritist in Bordeaux, where he gave a “cours libre de sanskrit” at Faculté de Lettres in 1886–89.Son of Erasme Ladonne (1802–1833) and Marthe Durant (1814–1877). He was a landowner and belonged to local scholarly societies. Married 1864 Marie Louise Laure Balguerie…
LANGENHOVE, George Charles van. Lokeren, East Flanders 19.3.1892 — Ghent 14.7.1943 (when 51). Belgian Linguist (Anglist and Germanist). Educated in Amsterdam, studies at Ghent (mainly Germanic). M.A. 1919. Worked as teacher. Ph.D. 1925 (diss. on English). From 1926 taught at Ghent, from 1930 Ord. Professor of General, IE and Germanic…
LOMAN, Johannes Reinoud Abraham. Amsterdam 3.11.1908 — 1976. Dutch Indologist. Son of Abraham Dirk Loman (1868–1954), a composer, and Gerarda Alida Lütkeman (1869–1942), an opera singer. Studied history at Amsterdam and worked as teacher of history. After the WW II studies of Indology under Scharpé, Galestin and van Lohuizen-de Leeuw.…
LINWOOD, William. Birmingham 16.1.1817 — West Bromwich, Staffordshire 7.9.1878. Rev. British Classical Scholar. Son of William Linwood (1788–1853), a merchant, and Mary Iliffe Swinfen. After Birmingham grammar school studied Classics and Sanskrit at Oxford (Christ Church) from 1836 (won 1839 Boden Sanskrit Scholarship). B.A. 1839, M.A. 1842. He took orders…
LEYDEN, Rudolf von. Berlin 8.8.1908 — Vienna 25.3.1983. German Geologist. Son of Victor von Leyden, a lawyer. As a geologist travelled in India and became interested in art, especially in playing cards. Fleeing Nazis as a Marxist he settled in Bombay (1940-53) socializing with Indian artists and making modern Indian…
LEIDECKER, Kurt Friedrich. Gera 11.9.1902 — Fredericksburg, Va. 17.11.1991. U.S. (of German origin) Scholar of Comparative Religion. U.S. Citizen. Professor in Fredericksburg. In 1920 immigrated to the U.S.A., first studied botany, soon philosophy and Sanskrit. B.A. 1924 and M.A. 1925 Oberlin College. Ph.D. 1927 University of Chicago, in Sanskrit. In…
LEGGETT, Trevor Pryce. London 22.8.1914 — London 2.8.2000. British Author interested in Indian and Japanese Thought. Son of Ernest Lewis Leggett, a violinist, and Isobel Mabel Pryce. Studies of law at London University (graduated 1934). From 1936 Yoga disciple of Hari Prasad Shastri (d. 1956) in England for 18 years.…
LAUENSTEIN, Diether. Herford 8.4.1914 — Windhoek, Namibia 28.12.1990. German Student of Indology, Anthroposophist. Of modest background. In 1934-38 studied Theology at Tübingen, also Sanskrit under Nobel at Marburg. After one year at seminary of Christengemeinschaft (Christian sect, close to anthroposophy) served in army, but was wounded and lost one leg.…
LATHAM, Robert Gordon. Billingborough, Lincolnshire 24.3.1812 — Putney, London 9.3.1888. British Ethnologist and Linguist. Son of Thomas Latham, a vicar, educated at Eton and at King’s College, Cambridge (B.A. 1833, M.A. 1836). Further studies in Copenhagen (under Rask) and Christiania (now Oslo). From 1839 Professor of English Language at University…