FRACHTENBERG, Leo Joachim. Czernowitz (now Chernivtsi in Ukraine) 24.2.1883 — Waterloo, Iowa 26.11.1930. U.S. (Austrian-born) Linguist and Anthropologist. Son of Abraham Frachtenberg and Jeanette Rottenstreich, a Jewish family. Gymnasium in Przemyśl (now in Poland), immediately after graduation in 1904 immigrated to the U.S.A. Studies at Cornell, then at Columbia University…
FOHALLE, René François Joseph. Verviers near Liège 12.5.1899 — 1984. Belgian Linguist. Professor in Liège. Obtained classical education at Athénée royal de Verviers in 1910-17, then studies of classical philology, linguistics and Indology at Liège in 1919-22 and 1924-26, in 1922-24 Sanskrit and linguistics in Paris (Meillet, Benveniste). Doctor en…
FIRTH, John Rupert. Keighley, Yorkshire 17.6.1890 — Linfield, Sussex 14.12.1960. British Linguist and Phonetician. Professor in London. Son of William Firth. Educated at Keighley. Studied history at Leeds University (M.A. 1913). A brief time Lecturer in History at City of Leeds Training College, then joined Indian Educational Service in 1914,…
FERRAND, Paul Joseph Gabriel. Marseille 22.1.1864 — Paris 31.1.1935. French Diplomat, Oriental (esp. Arabic) Scholar and a Specialist of Asian Historical Geography. Studies at É.L.O.V.. Served in administrative offices in French Somaliland (Djibouti) and 1887-96 in Madagascar, then as French Consul in Thailand (1896-98), Iran (1898-1900), Indonesia, Germany, and finally…
FERGUSON, Charles Albert (“Fergie”). Philadelphia, PA 6.7.1921 — Palo Alto, CAL 2.9.1998. U.S. Linguist and Bengali Scholar. Professor in Stanford. Born in a working-class family, grew up in Philadelphia From 1939 studies at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia: B.A. 1942, A.M. 1943 (thesis on Arabic), Ph.D. 1945 (Bengali). In 1946-55…
ESTELLER Y MELIÀ, Adolfo. Alcanar (Montsià) near Valencia 10.1.1899 — 18.3.1984. S.J. Spanish Indologist in India. Professor in Bombay. Son of estate manager Hermengildo Esteller and Elisa Melia. Joined the S.J. 1914. Educated in Castellon and Zaragoza, then studies of philosophy at Pontificia Universitá Gregoriana in Rome (Ph.D. there 1921).…
ERDMAN, Axel. Stockholm 6.2.1843 — Uppsala 8.11.1926. Swedish Linguist. Professor of English in Uppsala. Son of the mineralogist Axel J. Erdman (1814–1869) and Sophia Charlotta Nyström, educated in Stockholm. From 1861 studies of classical and modern languages at Uppsala, fil.kand. 1869. Then school-teacher of classical languages and English. In 1871…
ELLIS, Francis Whyte. 1777? — Ramnad (Ramanathapuram), Tamil Nadu 10.3.1819. British Civil Servant and Pioneer of Indology in India. From 1796 in Madras Civil Service, 1898 Deputy Secretary and 1802 Secretary to the Board of Revenue, 1810 Collector of Madras. Died of cholera (?). He was a pioneer of Dravidian…
EDGERTON, Franklin. Lemars, Iowa 24.7.1885 — Laramie, Wyoming 7.12.1963. U.S. Indologist. Professor in New Haven. Son of a civil servant, Charles Eugene Edgerton (1861–1932), and Annie Benedict White, his younger brothers were the lawyer Henry White Edgerton (1888–1970) and the Egyptologist William Franklin Edgerton (1893–1970). Though born in the West,…
DRESDEN, Mark Jan. Amsterdam 26.4.1911 — Philadelphia 16.8.1986. Dutch Indologist and Iranian scholar in the U.S.A. Citizen of the U.S.A., Professor in Philadelphia. Son of the composer Sem Dresden (1881–1957) and Jacoba Dhont, educated in Amsterdam. Studies of classical and especially Indo-Iranian philology at Amsterdam, B.A. 1933, M.A. 1937 (under…