NAU, François-Nicolas. Thil (Meurthe-et-Moselle) 13.5.1864 — Paris 2.9.1931. French Catholic Priest and Syrologist. Son of the elder François-Nicolas Nau and Marguerite Longueville. After primary school in Longwy attended petit séminaire of Notre-Dame des Champs in Paris, then from 1882 Grand Séminaire de Saint-Sulpice. Baccalaureate in theology and canonic law 1887,…
MARTINET, André. Saint-Alban-des-Villards (Savoie) 12.4.1908 — Châtenay-Malabry (Paris) 16.7.1999. French Linguist. Began his studies in Paris with English (aggregation 1930) and Germanic. Ph.D. 1937 Paris. In 1938-46 directeur d’études at É.P.H.É. In 1947-55 taught at Columbia University in New York. Then returned to É.P.H.É. and soon Professor of General Linguistics…
JESTIN, Remont (Rieg, Rigakos J., also as Gestin, French Raymond-Riec Jestin). Landerneau, Bretagne 1902 (or 1905?) — Menton, Coté d’Azur 1991. French (Breton) Sumerologist and Philosopher. Studies at École du Louvre. Taught Sumerian as directeur d’études at É.P.H.É. in 1946-72. Also known as a painter. Publications: Ar Bouddha hag ar vouddhaadegezh. 128 p.…
BERNOT, Lucien. Gien (Loiret) 2.12.1919 — Brantes (Vaucluse) 14.7.1993. French Anthropologist. Grew up in country, from the age of 14 worked as typographist. After WW II studied Chinese at É.L.O.V., then ethnography and Tibetan at É.P.H.É. In 1947-64 research scholar in C.N.R.S. In 1961-64 also chargé de conférences, 1964-78 directeur…
MARTINI, François. Can Tho, Vietnam 20.5.1895 — 18.6.1965. French Indologist and South-East Asian Scholar. Son of Corsican father and Cambodian mother. Studied law and philosophy, participated in the WW I (wounded) and after war studied languages in Paris, soon Sanskrit under S. Lévi. Diplom of Thai at É.L.O.V. 1922, from…
HOMBURGER, Lilias. U.K. 1880 — 1969. Mlle. French Linguist, with mixed German-English-French background. Began her career as missionary. Studied linguistics (Meillet), Dravidian and African languages. As directeur d’études taught African linguistics at É.P.H.É. L. S. Senghor was among her students there. She proposed wide-reaching theories about the unity of African…
GACHET, Benjamin. Lille 1839 — 1???. French Linguist. In 1871 he was a repetiteur at the É.P.H.É. In some sources called Brachet. Publications: “Les missionnaires dans l’Inde actuelle”, La Libre Conscience 6.11. & 13.11.1869. – Prières antèhistoriques. Œuvres de Koutsa et Hirayastoupa. Trad. du sanscrit védique en vers fr. et…
CHANTRAINE, Pierre Louis. Lille 15.9.1899 — Paris 30.6.1974. French Classical (Greek) Scholar and Linguist also interested in India. Professor in Paris. Son of a classical scholar. Educated in Cambrai, studies in Paris and Lille (Ernout), in 1922–25 again in Paris (Meillet, also Vendryes, Bloch, P. Mazon). Ph.D. 1927. In 1925–28…
STEIN, Rolf Alfred. Schwetz (now Świecie in Kujavia-Pomerania, Poland) 13.6.1911 — Paris 9.10.1999. French (born German Jew) Sinologist and Tibetan Scholar. Professor in Paris. In 1919 when their home town was ceded to Poland, the family moved to Berlin. Youthful interest in occultism led him to Tibetology. Studied Chinese at…
MENASCE, Jean de (born Jean André Moise de M.). Alexandria, Egypt 24.12.1902 — Paris 24.11.1973. Father. French Iranian Scholar. From his mother inherited French citizenship, father (banker, Baron Félix de M.) belonged to a Jewish family which had migrated from Spain to Egypt around 1500. Educated at French school in Alexandria,…