BIESE, Yrjö Moses Jalmari. Helsinki 4.1.1903 — Helsinki 7.11.1983. Finnish Indologist and Linguist (Classical Philology and English). Professor in Turku. Son of Ernst Hjalmar Biese (1864–1925), a procurator, and Helmi Katarina Ahlman, a painter. Matriculated 1921 from Helsingin Normaalilyseo. Studies of classical and modern languages and Sanskrit at Helsinki: Kand.phil.…
BESKROVNYJ, Vasilij Matveevič. Šejkovka (Šijkivka), Harkovskaja gub., Ukraine 24.5. (6.6.)1908 — Moscow 1.4.1978. Russian (Ukrainian?) Indologist, specialist in Hindi/Urdu. From 1926 studies at Leningrad Oriental Institute: graduated 1930 (under A. P. Barannikov), Kand. filologičeskih nauk 1943. Naučnyj sotrudnik at Oriental Institute, Academy of Science, Leningrad from 1932, staršij naučnyj sotrudnik.…
BERNHARD, Franz. Schweidnitz in Silesia (now Świdnica in Poland) 31.5.1931 — Mustang/Nepal 5.9.1971. German Indologist. Professor in Hamburg. Son of a butcher from Silesia. Studiedin 1952-60 at Göttingen classical philology, Indology (under W. Thomas and Waldschmidt), IE, and even Finno-Ugric philology. Ph.D. 1958 Göttingen. In 1956-60 worked at Tübingen University…
BERGMANN, Frédéric-Guillaume (Friedrich Wilhelm). Strasbourg 9.2.1812 — Strasbourg 13.11.1887. French (Alsatian) Linguist and Philologist. Professor in Strasbourg. Son of Anton Josef Bergmann (1776–1839), a pewter caster, and Christiane Sophie Roessel. Studies of theology at Strasbourg, of philology (especially Nordic) at Paris, Göttingen and Berlin. Dr.-ès-Lettres 1839. From 1838 in charge…
BENVENISTE, Émile (born Ezra B.). Aleppo, Syria 25.2. or 27.4.1902 — Versailles 3.10.1976. French Iranian scholar and Linguist. Professor in Paris, naturalized as Frenchman in 1924. Son of Mathieu (Mathatias) Benveniste, of a well known Sephardim family of Turkey (originally of Spain), and Marie Malkenson (an Ashkenazi from Lithuania), both…
BENFEY, Theodor. Nörten bei Göttingen 28.1.1809 — Göttingen 26.6.1881. German Indologist and IE Scholar. Professor in Göttingen. Born in a Jewish family, son of Isaak Benfey (1763–1832), a merchant and Talmud scholar, who also taught Hebrew to his son, and Caroline Salomon (1774–1838). School and from 1824 studies in Göttingen…
BENDER, Ernest. Buenos Aires 2.1.1919 — Newton Square, co. Delaware, PA 18.4.1996. U.S. Indologist. Professor in Philadelphia. Born in Argentina as U.S. citizen, son of Morris A. Bender (1887–1951) and his wife Celia, came to Philadelphia in the age of four. Educated there, began studies of classics at Temple University…
BENARY, Karl Albert Agathon. Kassel 17.1.1807 — Berlin 6.12.1860. German Classical and IE scholar. Teacher in Berlin. Born in Kassel as a son of the Jewish banker Salmon Levy (1770–1828; from 1818 Benary) and Gutheil Meilert (1778–1833), brother of —> Ferdinand Benary (1805–1880). The family took the name Benary in…
BEAMES, John William. Greenwich 21.6.1837 — Clevedon, Somerset 24.5.1902. British Civil servant and Indologist in India, a Pioneer of Comparative NIA Studies. Served in India in 1858-93. The eldest son of the Rev. Thomas Beames (1815–1864) and Susanna Amelia Dewsnap (1811–1868). Educated first at Merchant Taylor’s School, then 1856-57 at…
BAUNACK, Johannes Fürchtegott. Trebsen bei Grimma (east of Leipzig) 22.12.1854 — 1928. German Philologist. Son of school inspector Gottlob Franz Baunack (1825–1892), brother of —> Theodor Baunack (1861–1932). Attended Leipzig. Gymnasium 1866-74, then studied classical philology, IE linguistics and Indo-Iranian languages at Leipzig University under i.al. Curtius, Zarncke, Brockhaus and…