SAPIR, Edward (born Eduard Sapir). Lauenburg, Pomerania (now Lębork, Poland) 26.1.1884 — New Haven 4.2.1939. U.S. Linguist and Anthropologist. Born in an unorthodox Lithuanian Jewish family, which emigrated first 1888 to Liverpool and then in 1890 to the U.S.A., son of Jakob David Sapir, a cantor, and Eva Seagal. Grew…
RONA, José Pedro. Lučenec, Slovakia 20.3.1923 — Rio de Janeiro 16.7.1974. Uruguayan IE Scholar. Born of Hungarian parents in present Slovakia, son of engineer Alejandro Róna and pianist Lea Vajda. Migrated to Uruguay in 1940. Studies at University of Montevideo. Ph.D. 1965 University of Porto Alegre, Brazil, in linguistics. Professor…
PORRU, Giulia. 1913 — 2000 (?). Italian Linguist. Studies at Florence, i.a. under Devoto. Ph.D. 1937 Florence, PD in glottologia 1943. From 1946 Professore indaricato di filologia Germanica at Florence, also taught general linguistics. She was the first Italian to show interest in phonology. Publications: “I verbi della VII classe dell’antico…
POLOMÉ, Edgar Ghislain Charles. Molenbeck-Saint-Jean near Brussels 31.7.1920 — Houston 11.3.2000. Belgian Linguist in the U.S.A. Professor in Austin, Texas. Son of a Walloon father (Marcel Félicien Polomé) and Flemish mother (Berthe Henry). Studies at Free University Brussels (B.A. 1940) and after war service at Catholic University Louvain (M.A. 1943), learned Sanskrit…
PETZ, Gideon. Harka, Sopron dt. 24.11.1863 — Budapest 21.12.1943. Hungarian Linguist. Studies at Budapest, Freiburg i. Br., Leipzig and Berlin, 1881-87. Ph.D. Teacher at Lutheran gymnasium in Budapest. At Budapest University: PD 1887, ao. Professor 1896, ord. 1904, of German Philology. Member of Hungarian Academy: correspondent 1895, ord. 1920, honorary 1934.…
PENKA, Karl. Müglitz, Moravia (now Mohelnice, Czech) 26.10.1847 — Vienna 10.2.1912. Austrian Anthropologist, Linguist and Aryan Enthusiast. Educated Vienna, studies of anthropology and comparative linguistics. In 1873-1906 schoolteacher (professor) at Maximiliansgymnasium in Vienna. He connected linguistics with ethnology equating language groups with supposed human races. Propagated a theory of Scandinavian…
O’BRIEN, Edward. Ireland 26.7.1840 — Tasmania, Australia 28.11.1893 (when 53). British Civil Servant in India. Son of Henry O’Brien and Henrietta Godley. Deputy Commissioner of Kangra. Married Mary Oclanis Lamb (1848–1939), six children (—> A. J. O’Brien). He assisted his colleagues in similar works, but his own writings were only published…
NOWAK, Josef. 1??? — 19??. German Student of Indology or Comparative Linguistics. Ph.D. 1926 Freiburg i.Br. kotte-autographs.com mentions one Josef N., born Stuttgart 1901, died 1988, who studied at Freiburg and was then living in Hildesheim as dramatist and journalist. But it also says that this J.N. had studied philosophy.…
NELL, Louis. Colombo 26.11.1830 — Chiswick, Middlesex 17.5.1922. British (of Burgher background) Lawyer in Sri Lanka. Son of George Nell and Maria Elizabeth Conderlag (1805–1844). Worked as lawyer and journalist. Crown counsel of Ceylon. Retired in 1893, travelled in Switzerland, Italy and Germany. Four times (?) married, 14 children. Wikitree…
MURPHY, John D. Buffalo, NY 1921 — 24.7.1997. U.S. Linguist. Educated in Buffalo, studies at Harvard. In WW II translator of Japanese in Army Signal Corps in Arlington. In 1964-78 Research Professor at Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. As a linguist he is said to have been self-taught and mastered…