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…
NYERUP, Rasmus. Syrup, Funen 12.3.1759 — Copenhagen 28.6.1829. Danish Scholar interested in India. Son of Christen Rasmussen, a poor villain, and Karen Simonsdatter. In 1773 came to Odense school, matriculated 1776. Studies of philology and theology at Copenhagen University, M.A. 1784. In 1784-1803 worked in Royal Library, 1796-1829 eo. Professor…
NURMEKUND, Pent (until 1936 Arthur Roosman). Kilingi near Pärnu 16.12.1906 — Tartu 26.12.1996. Estonian Linguist, Polyglot and Oriental Scholar, specialized in Chinese and Indian languages and literatures. Born in a poor family as the son of an agrarian worker, Peet Roosman, and Julie Rüütel, he could only proceed slowly with…
NORSA, Umberto. Mantova 16.12.1866 — Mantova 5.4.1943. Italian Polyglot Author and Translator. Born in a Jewish family, educated in Mantova, already then (1881) translated Catull’s poems. Law studies at Bologna, where he also attended the classes of Giosuè Carducci. Beside classical languages and German, learned now Spanish, Polish and English,…
NORMAN, Harry Campbell. Winkleigh, Devonshire 19.12.1878 — Benares (Varanasi) 11.4.1913. British Indologist (Pāli Scholar) in India. Son of James Norman (d. 1910), a physician, and his wife Elizabeth Campbell, educated in Edinburgh. From 1896 studies at Edinburgh of Greek (under Butcher), Latin (Hardie) and Sanskrit (Eggeling). After M.A. in Classics…
NOBEL, Julius Adolf Johannes. Forst/Lausitz 25.6.1887 — Wehrda bei Marburg 22.10.1960. German Indologist and Buddhist Scholar. Professor in Marburg. Son of a clerc, Oskar Nobel, and Elisabeth Teichert. Educated in Fulda, became early interested in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. The parents wished of him a Roman Catholic priest, but in…
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…
NESSELMANN, Georg Heinrich Ferdinand. Fürstenau, Kr. Elbing (now Kmiecin in Poland) 24.2.1811 — Königsberg 1.7.1881. German Indo-Iranian, Baltic and IE Linguist. Professor in Königsberg. Son of Rev. George Ferdinand N., and Eleonore Gericke. Taught by father at home until 16, then at Elbing Gymnasium. From 1831 he studied mathematics at…
NEIL, Robert Alexander. Glengairn, Ballater, Aberdeenshire 26.12.1852 — Cambridge 19.6.1901. British (Scottish) Classical Scholar and Indologist in Cambridge. Son of Rev. Robert Neil and Mary Reid. Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and from 1866 (!) at Aberdeen University. Graduated M.A. 1870 Aberdeen, in Classics. After a brief period of medical…
NAHUCRIŠVILI, Grigorij Lukič. Hašmi, Sagarejo district, Georgia 8.8.1922 — 27.5.1984. Georgian Indo-Iranian Scholar. Son of a farmer. In 1941-46 in army. Graduated 1949 from Tbilisi Oriental Faculty. Kand. filol. nauk 1954, Docent 1965. From 1952 taught at Tbilisi University, from 1976 with chair. Publications: At least 20 publications, i.al. – Kand.…