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,…
DUPONT, Pierre. Paris 3.12.1908 — Bangkok 16.10.1955 (Auboyer: 31.12.1908–18.10.1955). French Archaeologist of South-East Asia (especially Cambodia). Professor in Paris. Studies of Indology, South-East Asian studies, art and archaeology in Paris under Lévi, Foucher, Picard and Stern, at É.P.H.É., Institut d’éthnologie and École du Louvre. Worked in Musée Guimet, in French…
DUMONT, Louis Charles Jean. Thessaloniki (Osman Empire) 11.8.1911 — Paris 19.11.1998. French Sociologist and Indologist. Son of a railway engineer, lost early his father. After restless youth (he left school when 18 and tried various odd jobs) he studied ethnology under Mauss. The plans of a doctorate about Celtic survivals…
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…
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…
CORBIN, Henry. Paris 14.4.1903 — Paris 7.10.1978. French Philosopher, Theologian and Scholar of Iranian Religion and Islam. Son of Henri Arthur C. and Eugénie Fournier. Born in a Protestant family, but had catholic education. Studied philosophy in Paris (degree 1925), in 1928 led by Massignon to Suhrawardi. Now also studied…
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…
BRÉAL, Michel-Jules-Alfred. Landau (Pfalz) 26.3.1832 — Paris 25.11.1915. French IE scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Auguste Bréal (d. 1839), a lawyer, and Caroline Worms. Educated in Wissembourg, Metz and Paris (Lycée Louis-le-Grand), then 1852-55 at École normale. Teacher in Strasbourg (1855) and Paris (Louis-le-Grand, 1856). Studied in 1857-60 Sanskrit…
BLOCHET, Gabriel Joseph Edgar. Bourges 12.12.1870 — Paris 5.9.1937. French Oriental (Arabic and Iranian) Scholar and Historian of Religions. After studies in Paris (i.al. ancient Iranian under Darmesteter at É.P.H.É. and Arabic at É.L.O.V.), from 1895 Assistant, then Librarian in Manuscript Department of Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, retired as conservateur-adjoint…