GEORGAKAS, Demetrios Ioannes (Δημήτριος Ιωάννης Γεωργακάς; Demetrius John Georgacas). Siderokastro 13.1.1908 — Grand Forks, ND 7.2.1990. Greek Linguist and Classical Scholar in Germany and the U.S.A. Born in Greek Macedonia. Studied Greek literature and linguistics at Athens in 1926-31 (under Hatzidakis), then passed the compulsory two-year military service. In 1934-46…
GEDNEY, William John. Orchards, Wash. 4.4.1915 — Ann Arbor 14.11.1999. U.S. Linguist, interested in Sanskrit, Pāli and especially Thai. Professor in Ann Arbor. Son of John Marshall Gedney (d. 1918) and Lillian Viola Woster. Educated at Whitman College (A.B. 1935). Then high school teacher in Leavenworth, Wash., during summers studied…
GATTI, Riccardo. Jesi 25.8.1879 — Cattolica, prov. Rimini 16.9.1967. Italian Linguist. Ph.D. A friend of Trombetti, followed his methods of daring linguistics comparisons. His Andaman–Papua–Australian language family (also combined with Munda and Dravidian) never found many followers. He was teacher (professor) of Italian, Greek and Latin at Ginnasio Vittorio Emanuele…
DECOURDEMANCHE, Jean-Adolphe. Paris 24.3.1844 — Paris 15.10.1916. French Pseudohistorian and Turkish Translator. Wikidata defines him as a diplomat and archaeologist, but no further details of his life are available. Publications: “La légende d’Alexandre chez les musulmans”, RHR 6, 1882, 98-112. – Études sur les racines Arabes, Sanscrites et Turques. 118…
BRAUNHOLTZ, Gustav Ernst Karl. Cambridge 19.3.1887 — 21.4.1967. British Linguist (IE and Classic). Son of Eugen Gustav Braunholtz (1859–1941), German academician who moved in 1884 to Cambridge (note his diss. Die erste nichtchristliche Parabel des Barlaam und Josaphat. Ihre Herkunft und Verbreitung. 8+110 p. Halle 1884) and Elisabeth Breul. Studies…
ABEL, Iwarus (Ivar). Ejstrup Mølle, Asferg Sogn near Randers 1720 — Fredensborg, North Zealand 1788. Danish Linguist. Son of Jens Iversen Abel, a miller, and Karen Jensdatter. Educated in Viborg, studied law at Copenhagen. In 1761-71 worked as procurator in Copenhagen city court, now also became interested in languages. Last…
WRIGHT, Joseph. Idle near Bradford, Yorkshire 31.10.1855 — Oxford 27.2.1930. British Linguist. Son of Dufton Wright (d. 1866), a woollen cloth weaver and quarryman, and Sarah Ann Atkinson, a modest family. Working from childhood in various odd jobs he started night-school when 15, concentrating on languages, and in 1876 went…
THOMAS, Calvin E. near Lapeer, Mich. 28.10.1854 — New York City 4.11.1919. U.S. Linguist and Germanist. Son of farmer Stephen Van Rensselaer Thomas (1831–1905, later lawyer and politician) and Caroline Louisa Lord (1831–1878). Graduated A.B. 1874, A.M. 1877, LL.D. 1904 – all at University of Michigan, 1877-78 further studies at…
TELEGDI, Zsigmond (born Weil). Enyig, county Veszprém 29.12.1909 — Budapest 5.3.1994. Hungarian Linguist. Son of solicitor Ede Weil (d. 1913) and Elza Erzsébet, lost early his father. Grew up in Székesfehérvár and attended Jewish secondary school there 1919-27. Briefly studied at Rabbinical seminary in Budapest, but interrupted and studied Semitic and…
SCHMIDT, Heinrich Wilhelm Arnold. Hörde near Dortmund 16.2.1868 — Fribourg 10.2.1954. Father, S.V.D (Society of the Divine Word). Famous German Anthropologist and Linguist in Austria and Switzerland. Austrian citizen 1902. Son of Heinrich Schmidt (1819–1870), an ironworker, and Anna-Maria Mörs. From 1883 educated by S.V.D. in the Netherlands, in 1890…