WINDEKENS, Albert Joris van. Mountain-Ash, Wales 23.4.1915 — Leuven 28.3.1989. Belgian Linguist. Professor in Louvain. Born in the U.K., after the war family returned to Belgium. Studies under Carnoy at Louvain, then under Filliozat in Paris. Dr. en philologie classique 1939, Dr. en philol. & histoire orientales 1941. From 1944…
WIEDEMANN, Oskar Johann. Jurburg, govt. Kaunas (Jurbarke, Lithuania) 3.12.1860 — Leipzig 9.12.1917. German (Baltic) Linguist. In 1879-83 studies of comparative linguistics under L. Meyer at Dorpat (Tartu), then further studies in Germany. Mag. 1886 Dorpat. Ph.D. 1889 Dorpat. PD 1887 Dorpat, quitted in 1890 because of Russification of the university, but…
WHITNEY, William Dwight. Nothampton, Mass. 9.2.1827 (hardly 1828) — New Haven, Conn. 7/8.6.1894. U.S. Indologist. Professor in New Haven. Born in an old Yankee family as the son of a businessman, Josiah Dwight Whitney, and Sarah Williston. Educated in 1842-45 at Williams College (B.A. 1845). In 1845-49 he worked in…
WHATMOUGH, Joshua. Rochdale, Lancashire 30.6.1897 — Winchester, MA 25.4.1964. British IE Linguist in the U.S.A. (citizen 1942). Professor in Cambridge, Mass. Son of Walter W., an iron-molder, and Elizabeth Hollows. Studied at Manchester (B.A. 1916, and, after war service, M.A. 1921) and Cambridge (Emmanuel College, B.A. 1921, M.A. 1926). In…
WESTERGAARD, Niels Ludvig. Copenhagen 27.10.1815 — Copenhagen 9.9.1878. Danish Indologist and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of a master carpenter, Niels Nielsen W. and Sophie Magdalene Nyeborg. As a schoolboy he became interested, from the example of Rask, in comparative linguistics and Oriental languages. From 1833 studied at Copenhagen…
WEISGERBER, Johann Leo. Metz 25.2.1899 — Bonn 8.8.1985. German (of Lorraine) Linguist and Celtologist. Son of a village teacher, Nikolaus Ludwig W., and Maria Müller, educated in Metz. Participated in WW I in German army, then studies at Bonn. Ph.D. 1923 Bonn (in Celtology under Thurneysen). PD 1925 Bonn. Professor…
WACKERNAGEL, Jacob. Basel 11.12.1853 — Basel 22.5.1938. Swiss IE Linguist, Greek and Sanskrit Scholar. Professor in Göttingen and Basel. Son of Wilhelm W. (1806–1868), a Germanist and poet, and Maria Salome Sarasin, brother of the Germanist Rudolf W. (1855–1928). Studies of Greek at Basel, then also Sanskrit and Comparative IE…
ROZWADOWSKI, Jan Michał. Czarna near Tarnów 7.12.1867 — Warsaw 14.3.1935. Polish IE and Slavic Linguist and Gipsy Scholar. Professor in Cracow. Son of engineer Julius R. Studies of classics at Cracow, Ph.D. 1891. In 1891-95 further studies at Leipzig under Brugman and Leskien. From 1897 PD and from 1899 eo.…
ROTH, Walhter Rudolf (von). Stuttgart 3.4.1821 — Tübingen 23/24.6.1895. German Indologist. Professor in Tübingen. Son of an official, Christoph Wilhelm Roth (1781–1834) and Caroline Regine Walther (d. 1825), of a family of Lutheran priests and teachers, lost his father in the age of 13, but was cared for by the…
ROERICH, Georg N. (Jurij Nikolaevič Rërih, George Nicolas de Roerich). Okulovka, Valdajskij raion, obl. Novgorod 3.(16.)8.1902 — Moscow 21.5.1960. Russian Tibetologist, lived long time in India. Professor in Moscow. Son of —> N. K. Roerich and Elena Ivanovna Šapošnikova, grew up in St.Petersburg. When 15 began to study Egyptology and…