PORTMAN, Maurice Vidal. London, Ontario 21.3.1860 — Axbridge, Somerset 14.2.1935. British (of Canada) Naval Officer and Anthropologist in India. Son of Hon. Maurice Berkeley Portman (1833–1888) and Helen Vidal Harris (d. c. 1867). Joined Royal Marine in the age of 16. Commissioner of the Andamans in 1879–99. He had health problems,…
POŘÍZKA, Vincenc. Drahany na Morave 9.11.1905 — Prague 22.8.1982. Czech Indologist (Scholar of Hindi/Urdu). Professor in Prague. Born in Central Moravian mountain area, educated in Kroměříž. He studied Catholic theology at Olomouc. Ordained, Theol.Dr. From 1938 studies of Indology at Prague (under Pertold and Lesný). From 1942 taught Hindustani at…
POPOV, Aleksandr Vasil’evič. Druželjubovka village, Kupjansk dt., Harkiv govt. 16.11.1855 — 26.9.1880. Ukrainian Indologist. Son of a priest, educated at Kupjansk Spiritual Seminary in 1871-75. Studied Sanskrit and comparative linguistics under V. Scherzl at Harkiv, graduated in 1879. His both dissertations about Sanskrit and IE syntax were deemed remarkable and…
POKORNY, Aron Julius. Prague 12.6.1887 — Zürich 8.4.1970. Austrian (Bohemian) IE and Celtic Scholar in Swizerland. Professor in Berlin and Zürich. Son of Samuel Christian Pokorny (1855–1943) and Margarete Riegner (thus Schmitt, German Wikipedia Anton Pokorny and his wife Rosalia). Educated in Prague and in Kremsmünster in Austria. Studies of law…
POBOŻNIAK, Tadeusz. Cracow 1910 — 26.1.1991 (when 80). Polish Indologist and Gipsy Scholar. Professor in Cracow. Born in a poor family, his father served in City Council guard.Educated in Cracow. Studied at Cracow IE (under Rozwadowski) and Germanic, then also Sanskrit under Willman-Grabowska. M.A. 1938 with a diss. on conjunctive…
PLATNER, Samuel Ball. Unionville, Conn. 4.12.1863 — at sea 20.8.1921. U.S. Classical Scholar also interested in Sanskrit. Son of William Platner, a factory owner, and Emily Childs Ball, brother of theologian John Winthrop Platner (1865–1921). Studies of Classics and Sanskrit at Yale (A.B. 1883, Ph.D. 1885), further studies in 1889-90…
PLĀĶIS, Juris. Kabile, Courland 22.6.1869 — Usol’lag near Perm, Russia 1.8.1942. Latvian IE Scholar. Worked long as teacher, from 1920 (?) Professor of Comparative Linguistics (Lithuanian, Sanskrit and IE) at Latvian University in Riga (in 1924 and in the 1930s). Also taught Sanskrit. In 1920-21 Latvian Minister of Education. Arrested…
PIZZI, Italo. Parma 30.11.1849 — Turin 5/6.12.1920. Italian Indo-Iranian Scholar. Professor in Turin. Born in a large family of nobility, son of Agostino Pizzi and Maria Teresa Prussia. Studied at Pisa Semitic, Indian and Germanic languages under De Benedetti, Lasinio and Teza. Ph.D. 1871 Pisa. Worked as teacher in Parma…
PISCHEL, Richard. Breslau 18.1.1849 — Madras 26.12.1908. German Indologist. Professor in Kiel, Halle and Berlin. Son of Ernst Gottfried Pischel, a manufacturer of surgical instruments, and Emilie Haertel (d. 1857). After school in Breslau studied Sanskrit (under Stenzler) and classical philology at Breslau. Ph.D. 1870 Breslau. After war service further…
PISANI, Vittore. Rome 23.2.1899 — Como 22.12.1990. Italian IE and Classical Scholar, also much interested in Sanskrit. Professor in Milano. From 1916 studied in Rome, but in 1917-18 participated in the WW I. Ph.D. 1921 Rome (diss. on the Helena of Euripides). From 1930 PD (libero docente) at Università di…