DONNER, Otto. Kokkola 15.12.1835 — Helsinki 17.9.1909. Finnish Indologist and Finno-Ugrian Linguist. Professor in Helsinki. Son of Anders Donner (1796–1857), a wealthy businessman and shipowner in Kokkola on the west coast of Finland, and Olivia Matilda Dahlström (1803–1857). Matriculated in 1857 from Vaasa, then studied Finnish at Helsinki and passed…
DELIUS, Nikolaus. Bremen 19.9.1813 — Bonn 18.11.1888. German Linguist. Professor of English in Bonn. Son of a merchant, Everhard Delius (1777–1866) and Magdalena Gloystein (1793–1833), educated at Gymnasium in Bremen. Then studies of classical and Indian philology at Bonn (von under Schlegel and Lassen) and Berlin (Bopp). Ph.D. Bonn 1838,…
DE GUBERNATIS, Angelo. Turin 7.4.1840 — Rome 26.12.1913. Count. Italian Indologist. Professor in Florence and Rome. Born in a noble family, son of Giambattista De Gubernatis, a revenue official, and Maria Cleofe Turchetti; his brother was the diplomat and geographer Enrico De Gubernatis (1836–1914), his sister the educator Teresia De…
DEECKE, Ernst Georg Wilhelm. Lübeck 1.4.1831 — Strassburg (Strasbourg) 2.1.1897. German Linguist, Founder of Etruscology. Son of Konrektor Ernst Deecke (1805–1862) and Christine Müller (1805–1838). Gymnasium in Lübeck, studies of Classical and Comparative IE Philology at Leipzig and Berlin (under Bopp et al.). Ph.D. 1870 Leipzig. Taught at schools in…
DEBRUNNER-RUDIN, Johann Albert. Basel 8.2.1884 — Bern 2.2.1958. Swiss Linguist. Professor in Bern and Jena. Son of Albert Debrunner, a potter, and Elisabeth Schaub, a poor and deeply religious family. Educated in Basel. From 1902 studies of classical philology and comparative linguistics at Basel (Sommer) and Göttingen (Wackernagel). Ph.D. 1907…
DAVIS, Edwin Bell. Lawrence, MA 3.6.1866 (or 13.6.) — Franklin, NJ 23.7.1957. U.S. Linguist. Professor in New Brunswick, NJ. Son of Bryan Bell Davis and Amelia Lockwood. Graduated from Dartmouth College (B.Litt. 1889). A.M. 1916 Rutgers. In 1889-90 teacher at a high school in New Brunswick, 1890-91 at Salt Lake…
DAMES, Mansel Longworth. Bath 1850 — Guildford, Surrey 8.1.1922. British Civil Servant, Baluchi Scholar and Historian of India. Son of Captain George Longworth Dames (1808–1860, of Irish background) and Caroline Amelia Brunswick. Passed the I.C.S. examination in 1868 and 1870 joined Bengal Civil Service, first posted to the Punjab. Served…
DALGADO, Sebastião Rodolfo. Assagão, Goa 8.5.1855 — Lisbon 4.4.1922. Monsenhor. Indo-Portuguese Indologist. Professor in Lisbon. Born in a Brahman family, his ancestors were called Desai. Son of Ambrose Dalgado, a landowner in Bardez, and Florinda Rosa de Souza. School in Mapuça, Goa, studies of theology at Rachol (also learned Latin,…
CUST, Robert Needham. Cockayne Hatley, Bedfordshire 24.2.1821 — Campden Hill, London 28.10.1909. British Indologist. Son of Hon. and Rev. Henry Cckayne Cust (1780–1861), of a noble family (his uncle was Earl Brownlow), and Anna Maria Needham. Educated at Eton, planned first to become a lawyer and began studies at Trinity College,…
COLINET, Philémon. Alost (Aalst) 2.3.1853 — Sleydingen 3.12.1917. Belgian Indologist, Linguist and Scholar of Religion. Professor in Louvain (Leuven). Son of Felix Joannes Colinet, a smith, and Maria Theresia Jolie. In 1877-82 student at Seminary of Ghent, in 1882 ordained as priest. In 1881-84 studied Oriental languages at Louvain under…