Origins & Early Life

Georges Edmond Raoul Dumézil (French: [dymezil]; 4 March 1898 – 11 October 1986) was a French philologist, linguist, and religious studies scholar who specialized in comparative linguistics and mythology. He was a professor at Istanbul University, École pratique des hautes études and the Collège de France, and a member of the Académie Française. Dumézil is well known for his formulation of the trifunctional hypothesis on Proto-Indo-European mythology and society. His research has had a major influence on the fields of comparative mythology and Indo-European studies.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In the 1930s he was a supporter (though not a formal member) of the far-right group Action Française, leading to criticism from left-wing scholars in the 1980s and afterwards. Georges Dumézil was born in Paris, France, on 4 March 1898, the son of Jean Dumézil and Marguerite Dutier. His father was a highly educated general in the French Army. Dumézil received an elite education in Paris at the Collège de Neufchâteau, Lycée de Troyes, Lycée Louis-le-Grand and Lycée de Tarbes. He came to master Ancient Greek and Latin at an early age.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Through the influence of Michel Bréal, who was a student of...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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