FERRAND, Paul Joseph Gabriel. Marseille 22.1.1864 — Paris 31.1.1935. French Diplomat, Oriental (esp. Arabic) Scholar and a Specialist of Asian Historical Geography. Studies at É.L.O.V.. Served in administrative offices in French Somaliland (Djibouti) and 1887-96 in Madagascar, then as French Consul in Thailand (1896-98), Iran (1898-1900), Indonesia, Germany, and finally…
FERNÁNDEZ Y GONZÁLEZ, Francisco. Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha 26.9.1833 — Madrid 30.6.1917. Spanish Linguist and Polyglot, also knew some Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian. Son of a cavalry officer. Educated in Valladolid and Madrid. From 1852 studies at Madrid. In 1856-64 Professor of Literature at Granada, also taught Greek and Arabic. Then…
FERGUSSON, James. Ayr 22.1.1808 — London 9.1.1886. British (Scottish) Architect and Historian of Indian architecture. Son of Dr. William Fergusson (1773–1846), a noted army surgeon and medical author, educated at Edinburgh High School and at Hounslow. He came early to Calcutta and served at Fairlie, Fergusson & Cny, where his…
FERGUSSON, John. 17?? — Cape of God Hope 4.9.1773 (?). British Colonial Officer in India. Captain. The author of the first English Hindustani dictionary in 1773, describing the colloquial speech of soldiers for the use of officers, mixing together different forms of language (but with some preponderance of Magahī). Early…
FERGUSON, Donald William. Colombo 8.10.1853 — Croydon near London 29.6.1910. British (Scottish) Journalist and Scholar of Sri Lankan History (especially of Colonial Period). Son of —> Alastair M. Ferguson (1816–1892) and Anne Mackerras. The father came to Ceylon in 1837, was a long time the chief proprietor and editor of…
FERGUSON, Charles Albert (“Fergie”). Philadelphia, PA 6.7.1921 — Palo Alto, CAL 2.9.1998. U.S. Linguist and Bengali Scholar. Professor in Stanford. Born in a working-class family, grew up in Philadelphia From 1939 studies at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia: B.A. 1942, A.M. 1943 (thesis on Arabic), Ph.D. 1945 (Bengali). In 1946-55…
FENICIO, Jacobo (Jacome, Finicio). Capua c. 1558 — Cochin 1632. Father, S.J. Italian Missionary, in India 1583-1632, working in Malabar Mission, mainly in Cochin and Calicut (Kochi & Kozhikode). Around 1603/09 he wrote in Portuguese an interesting account of Indian religion, which was used as a manuscript by his successors…
FENIGER, Siegmund (Nyānaponika Mahāthera). Hanau 29.7.1901 — Forest Hermitage, Kandy 19.10.1994. German Bauddha and Buddhist scholar in Sri Lanka. Born in Hessen as the only child of a merchant family and had Jewish education. Lived then in Upper Silesia working in a bookshop. In 1922 the family moved to Berlin,…
FELBER, Erwin. Vienna 9.3.1885 — Vienna 27.5.1964. Austrian Musicologist. Son of brewer Wolf Wilhelm Felber (d. 1928) and Johanna Back, a Jewish family. From 1904 studied music and law ar Vienna, Dr.jur. Also Ph.D. in music 1911 Vienna. Worked as music critic and writer. In 1938 emigrated to China, as…
FÉER, Henri Léon. Rouen 22.11.1830 — Paris 10.3.1902. French Indologist and Buddhist Scholar. Librarian in Paris. Probably son of Paul Féer (1792–1847) and Jeanne Marie Labauche (Wikitree on Isabelle Féer mentions him as her uncle, but the same on Paul Féer does not list him among their children). Educated in…