FOUCAUX, Philippe-Édouard. Angers (Maine-et-Loire) 15.9.1811 — Paris 19.5.1894. French Indologist and Tibetan scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of a wealthy merchant from Angers, came to Paris in 1828 to study Oriental languages. He was a student of Burnouf and prompted by him started on his own to learn Tibetan from…
FILLIOZAT, Jean. Paris 4.11.1906 — Paris 27.10.1982. French Indologist. Professor in Paris. Son of a physician, educated in Paris (Lycée Henri IV and Louis le Grand). After studies of medicine in Paris (Dr. med. 1930) he practised as ophthalmologist until 1947. But he became early interested in India and studied…
ERNOUT, Alfred Georges. Lille 30.10.1879 — Paris 16.6.1973. French IE and Classical Linguist, mainly Latin Scholar. Son of Léon E., tradesman in Lille, and Célina Venelle. Educated at Lycée de Lille, Faculté des lettres de Lille (lic.ès lettres 1900) and at Sorbonne (dr.ès lettres 1908) and É.P.H.É. in Paris. In…
DUPONT-SOMMER, André Louis. Marnes-la-Coquette near Paris 23.12.1900 — Paris 14.5.1983. French Epigraphist and Semitic Scholar, a Specialist of Aramaic. Son of a lawyer. After school military service in 1920-22. Then studied philology and theology in Paris, licence in both in 1924 and 1928 resp. Further studies of archaeology in Jerusalem,…
DUMÉZIL, Georges Edmond Raoul. Paris 4.3.1898 — Paris 11.10.1986. French Linguist. Professor in Paris. Son of Jean Anatole D. (1857–1929), general of artillery, and Marguérite Dutier (1860–1945), grew up in garrison towns. Thus attended collège in Neufchâteau, lycée in Troyes, Paris (Louis-le-Grand) and Tarbes. He read Bréal and started with…
DUBEUX, J. Louis. Lisbon, Portugal 2.11.1798 — Paris 4.10.1863. French Oriental Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of a clerk of the French embassy in Lisbon, in 1808 the family returned with French troops from Portugal. From 1816 worked in Royal Library, in 1835-48 as conservateur adjoint. From 1848 Jaubert’s successor…
DEMIÉVILLE, Paul. Lausanne 13.9.1894 — Paris 23.3.1979. French (born Swiss) Sinologist and Buddhist scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Paul D. (1855–1947, Professor of Medicine at Lausanne) and Annette Manuel. After gymnasium in Bern studied history of music and Russian at Munich, London, Edinburgh and Paris, dr. degree in Music…
DARMESTETER, James. Château-Salins (Meurth, Lorraine) 28.3.1849 — Maisons-Laffitte near Paris 19.10.1894. French Iranian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Calmann D., a Jewish bookbinder, and Rosalie Brandeis, younger brother of the philologist Arsène D. (1846–1888). Educated in Paris, matriculated from Lycée Concordet in 1866. Then studied philology (lic. 1868) and…
CHÉZY, Antoine Léonard de. Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris 15.1.1773 — Paris 3.9. (or 31.8.) 1832. French Pioneer of Indology, the first Professor of Sanskrit in Paris. Born in the large family of Antoine de Chézy (1718–1798), a well known engineer and scientist. Birth year somewhat uncertain, D.B.F. gives 1775, others 1773.…
CHAVANNES, Emanuel-Édouard. Lyon 5.10.1865 — Paris 29.1.1918. French Sinologist and Buddhist Scholar. Born in a Protestant family, son of Emile Ch. (1836–1909, an engineer) and Blanche Dapples (who died after his birth). Educated in Lausanne, Lyon and Paris (Lycée Louis-le-Grand). In 1885-88 studies at École normale supérieure. Now began Chinese…