WHATMOUGH, Joshua. Rochdale, Lancashire 30.6.1897 — Winchester, MA 25.4.1964. British IE Linguist in the U.S.A. (citizen 1942). Professor in Cambridge, Mass. Son of Walter Whatmough, an iron-molder and woolweaver, and Elizabeth Hollows. Studied at Manchester (B.A. 1916, and, after war service, M.A. 1921) and Cambridge (Emmanuel College, B.A. 1921, M.A.…
WESTERGAARD, Niels Ludvig. Copenhagen 27.10.1815 — Copenhagen 9.9.1878. Danish Indologist and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of a master carpenter, Niels Nielsen W. (1772–1835) and Sophie Magdalene Nyeborg. As a schoolboy he became interested, from the example of Rask, in comparative linguistics and Oriental languages. From 1833 studied at…
WENNERBERG, Claes. 1939 — ?.7.1996, when 57. Swedish Indologist. Son of Gunnar W. and Torborg “Bojan” Broden. Studies at Gothenburg under Liebert. Ph.D. 1981 Göteborg Universitet. Docent and half-time Universitetslektor teaching Indology and comparative linguistics at Gothenburg until his sudden and unexpected death. Married Doris, two sons. Publications: Diss. Die…
WEISGERBER, Johann Leo. Metz 25.2.1899 — Bonn 8.8.1985. German (of Lorraine) Linguist and Celtologist. Son of a village teacher, Nikolaus Ludwig W., and Maria Müller (died when he was 5), educated in Metz, Reifeprüfung 1917. Then participated in WW I in German army in Flanders, after war studies from 1918…
WEIHRICH, Franz. 26.7.1845 — Vienna 20.6.1910. German Schoolman and former Student of IE Linguistics. Ph.D. 1869 Giessen (Vullers). Tutor of the children of Erzherzog Carl Ludwig, then 1902-08 school director in Vienna, in 1908 retired. Publications: Diss. De gradibus comparationis linguarum Sanscritae, Graecae, Latinae, Gothicae. 7+108 p. Giessen 1869. –…
WEIGLE, Gottfried Hartmann. Esslingen-Zell am Neckar 1.6.1816 — Mangalore 7.1.1855. German Missionary in India, member of Basel Mission. Characterized as a linguist. Son of a minister, Karl Christian Hartmann Weigle (1787–1834) and Johanna Rosina Werner (1793–1826), school in Stuttgart. Studied at Urach Seminary 1830-34, then theology (but also Sanskrit, Arabic…
WEIDERT, Alfons Klaus. 21.3.1943 — Bangkok 24.7.1988. German Tibeto-Burman Linguist. Ph.D. 1971 Heidelberg. PD 1982 Kiel. In 1981-84 Chief-Supervisor of the German-Nepalese field-project Linguistic Survey of Nepal. Collected material through field study among more than 40 Tibeto-Burman languages. But he was hard on his informants and lost his research position…
WALDE, Alois. Innsbruck 30.11.1869 — Innsbruck (N.D.B., but Wikipedia & Prabook say Königsberg) 3.10.1924. Austrian IE and Classical Scholar. Son of merchant Ludwig Walde and Anna Filz, educated in Innsbruck. In 1888-92 studies of Classics and IE at Innsbruck, 1893-94 at Leipzig (Brugmann & Leskien), Ph.D. Innsbruck 1894 (under Stolz). PD…
WACKERNAGEL, Jacob (Jakob). Basel 11.12.1853 — Basel 22.5.1938. Swiss IE Linguist, Greek and Sanskrit Scholar. Professor in Göttingen and Basel. Son of Wilhelm W. (1806–1868), a Germanist and poet, and Maria Salome Sarasin (1816–1894), brother of the Germanist Rudolf W. (1855–1928). Godson of Jacob Grimm. Studies of Greek at Basel,…
RUBEN, Walter. Hamburg 26.12.1899 — Berlin 7.11.1982. German (East) Indologist. Professor in Berlin. Son of Albert Ruben (1868–1926), a merchant, and Emmi Geister (1875–1955). School in Hamburg, 1917-18 in army. Studies of classics, philosophy and Indology at Hamburg (Konow) and Bonn (Jacobi), also at Berlin (Lüders). Ph.D. 1924 Bonn. PD…