BONFANTE, Giuliano Ugo. Milano 6.8.1904 — Rome 9.9.2005 (when 101). Italian IE and Romance Linguist. Son of Pietro Bonfante (1864-1932), Professor and scholar of the history of Roman law, and Pia Rua. Studies of literature and law in Rome. Professor from 1929 at Naples, in 1933-37 in Madrid, Spain, 1938-52…
SAUSSURE, Ferdinand de. Geneva 26.9.1857 — Vufflens-le-Château, Vaud 22.2.1913. Swiss Linguist. Professor in Geneva. Son of Henri Louis Frédéric de Saussure (1829–1905), a zoologist, and Louise de Pourtalès, the family was originally of Lorraine nobility, settled in Switzerland in the 16th century. His brother was Sinologist Léopold de Saussure (1866–1925).…
PICTET, Adolphe. Lancy, Kanton Geneva 9/11.9.1799 — Geneva 12/20.12.1875. Swiss Officer and IE Scholar. Teacher and Docent in Geneva. Son of the well known diplomat and politician, the member of Genevan Government Charles Pictet-de Rochemont (1755–1824), and Sara Rochemont. Educated at Hofwyl (Bern), then studies aesthetics and philosophy at Geneva…
OLTRAMARE, Jean Paul Gamaliel. Geneva 6.4.1854 — Geneva 22.10.1930. Swiss Indologist and Scholar of Religion. Professor in Geneva. Son of André O. (1822–1896), the Professor of Latin at Geneva University, of an old Genevan family, and and Jeanne Louise Adrienne Fournier. Studies of sciences and humanities at Geneva in 1872-75…
HERBERT, Jean Daniel Fernand. Paris 27.6.1897 — Geneva 21.8.1980. French Scholar of Religion. Son of a Catholic father and Protestant mother. Between world wars worked in various international organizations, in 1930 became interested in Buddhism. Travelled in India and China. During the war living in Midi studying Hinduism. Participated in…
FREI, Henri. Baar, Zug 5.6.1899 — Hedingen, Canton Zürich 14.11.1980. Swiss Linguist. Professor in Geneva. Son of Gustav Adolf Frei, an industrialist, and Ida Dändliker. Studies of linguistics at Geneva and Paris (É.L.O.V.) until 1926 (including New Indo-Aryan and Japanese). Ph.D. 1929 Geneva (under Bally). In 1933-34 Professor at National…
DEUSSEN, Paul Jakob. Oberdreis/Westerwald, Kr. Neuwied 7.1.1845 — Kiel 6.7.1919. German Indologist and Philosopher. Professor in Kiel. Son of Adam D., a minister, and Jakobine Ingelbach. Attended Gymnasium in Elberfeld and Landesschule in Pforta, where his classmate and future life-long friend Friedrich Nietzsche introduced him to Schopenhauer’s philosophy. In 1864-69…
CUENDET, Georges. Geneva 5.9.1897 — 1980. Swiss Linguist interested in Sanskrit. Educated at Collège de Genève, studies at universities of Geneva (Bally), Basel, and Paris (Meillet at É.P.H.É., also É.L.O.V.). Dr. ès lettres 1924 Geneva. In the 1930s teacher of Latin and Greek at Collège de Nyon and in 1938-63…
BALLY, Charles-Louis. Geneva 4.2.1865 — Geneva 10.4.1947. Swiss Linguist and Greek scholar. Son of a teacher, Jean Bally (d. 1870), and Henriette Ruffini, lost early his father. From 1883 studied mainly Greek philology at Geneva, in the 1890s became de Saussure’s student, now also learned Sanskrit. Further studies at Berlin…