OERTEL, Hanns. Geithain, Sachsen 20.4.1868 — Munich 7.2.1952. German Indologist, for a while in the U.S.A. Professor in New Haven and Munich. Son of Colonel Philipp Julius Oe. (1821–86) and Evelyn Lassnitzer. Gymnasium in Plauen and Meissen. After father’s death in 1886 moved with the family to the U.S.A., studied…
OBRY, Jean-Baptiste-François. Villers-Bretonneux (Somme) 17.9.1793 — 1871. French Literate interested in Indology and Religions. Son of wool merchant Firmin Obry and Marie Floride Debrie. Worked as attorney and judge in Amiens. “Juge honoraire, membre de l’académie d’Amiens”. He was much interested in Hebrew and in the 1830s he invented a…
NYBERG, Henrik Samuel. Söderbärke, Dalarne 28.12.1889 — Uppsala 9.2.1974. Swedish Semitic and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Uppsala. Born in humble conditions as the son of Anders Fredrik N. (1854–1912), a poor curate, and Ida Mathilda Jansson (1867–1911), educated at home and in Västerås. In 1908 started Classical and Oriental studies…
NÖLDEKE, Theodor Eduard. Harburg 2.3.1836 — Karlsruhe 25.12.1930. German Semitic Scholar, also interested in Iranian. Professor in Kiel and Strassburg. Son of Carl Nöldeke (1800–1866), teacher, then rector of gymnasium, and Auguste Klingemann (1802–1846), educated in Harburg and Lingen. Studies at Göttingen, mainly under Ewald, apparently also Benfey. Ph.D. 1856…
NOBLE, Peter Scott. 17.10.1899 — 12.5.1987. Sir. British Classical Scholar with interest in Indology. Educated in Aberdeen (Fraserburgh Academy). Studies of Classics at Aberdeen (1917-19 in army) and Cambridge (St.John’s College), soon also Sanskrit under E. J. Rapson and comparative linguistics under P. Giles. B.A. 1923, M.A. In 1926-30 Lecturer…
NÈVE, Félix-Jean-Baptiste-Joseph. Ath 13.6.1816 — Leuven 23.5.1893. Belgian Indologist and Oriental Scholar. Professor in Louvain (Leuven). Son of merchant Auguste Nève and Marie Delwarde, family moved early to Lille where he went to school. From 1834 among the first students at Louvain, just reestablished as a Catholic French-speaking university (first…
NASILOV, Vladimir Mihajlovič. Zarajsk, Gub. Rjazan 15.(27.)5.1893 — Moscow 20.5.1970. Russian Central Asian Scholar, specialist of Uigur (ancient and modern). Son of a priest, educated in Zarajsk. Graduated 1917 from Lazarevskij Institut, Moscow. In 1928-30 naučnyj sotrudnik at Institute of Peoples of Soviet Union, in 1930-35 taught at Communist University…
MUUSSES, Martha Adriana. Purmerend 27.9.1894 — Laren, North Holland 27.10.1981. Dutch Indologist. Daughter of Jan Muusses (1847–1909), a bookseller, and Trijnte Ruerdi (1860–1920). Matriculated from Hoorn, started study of Dutch philology at Utrecht, soon became student of Caland. Ph.D. 1920 Utrecht, with a diss. on sacred cows. For a few…
MURRAY, Alexander. Dunkitterick, Kirkcudbrightshire 22.10.1775 — Edinburgh 15.4.1813. British (Scottish) Philologist and Oriental Scholar. Son of Robert Murray, a shepherd and farm labourer. Of modest origin, bur talented, he was admitted to Edinburgh University, although he had hardly any formal education, and thus became a priest. From 1812 Professor of…
MURPHY, Robert Xavier. 1803 — Kingstown, Dublin 26.2.1857. Irish Teacher, Journalist, Classical and Oriental Scholar in India. “He went out to Bombay as a master under the Bombay Native Education Society [1826 already there]; a classical scholar and quick acquiring Oriental languages. Edited the Bombay Gazette, 1834. Acted, 1839, as…