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…
NOVIKOV, Nikolaj Ivanovič. Tihvinskoje-Avdotjino near Bronnicky (SE of Moscow) 8.5.(27.4.)1744 — ibid. 12.8.(31.7.)1818. Russian Literate, one of the leading representatives of Enlightenment in Russia. Born in a noble family, son of Ivan Vasil’evič Novikov (1699–1763), educated in Moscow. After military service in 1762-67 worked in the committee for the renovation…
NORSA, Umberto. Mantua 16.12.1866 — Mantua 5.4.1943. Italian Polyglot Author and Translator. Born in a Jewish family, educated in Mantua, already then (1881) translated Catull’s poems, in 1884 Heine and W. von Humboldt. Law studies at Bologna, following his father’s wishes, but he also attended the classes of Giosuè Carducci.…
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 Elizabeth Campbell, educated in Edinburgh. From 1896 studies at Edinburgh of Greek (under Butcher), Latin (Hardie) and Sanskrit (Eggeling). After M.A. in Classics moved in…
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…
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, the 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…
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 Nesselmann, 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 (when 13!) at Aberdeen University. Graduated M.A. 1870 Aberdeen, in Classics. After a brief period of…
NAHUCRIŠVILI, Grigorij Lukič (Naxutsrišvili). 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. –…
MUNK, Salomon. Gross-Glogau, Silesia (now Glogów, Poland) 2.5.1802 — Paris 5/6.2.(14.5.?)1867. German Oriental Scholar in France. Professor in Paris. Born in a Jewish family in Prussian Silesia, son of a poor synagogue servant, Lippmann Samuel Munk, educated at Rabbinical school in Gross-Glogau and in Berlin. Despite of poverty succeeded to…