Ralph Lilley Turner

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Professor Sir Ralph Lilley Turner MC (5 October 1888–22 April 1983) was an English Indian languages philologist and university administrator. He is also the author of some publications concerning the Romani language.

Turner was born in Charlton, London. He was educated at the Perse School and Christ's College, Cambridge. In 1913 he joined the Indian Educational Service as a lecturer at Queen's College, Benares. From 1915 to 1919 he served with the 2nd/3rd Queen Alexandra's Own Gurkha Rifles, winning the Military Cross in Palestine. From 1920 to 1922 he was Professor of Indian Linguistics at Benares Hindu University.

In 1922, Turner returned to England as Professor of Sanskrit at the School of Oriental Studies at the University of London. Between 1924 and 1932, he also published several papers on Romani Studies in the Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society, including "On the position of Romani in Indo-Aryan" (1927). He was director of the school from 1937 to 1957, although he continued to occupy his chair as well until 1954. He was knighted in 1950. His magnum opus, the Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan languages was published in 1966.

The British memorial in London to the Gurkhas was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II on December 3, 1997.^[1] The legend on the Gurkha memorial is taken from the following quotation written by Sir Ralph

“

As I write these last words, my thoughts return to you who were my comrades, the stubborn and indomitable peasants of Nepal. Once more I hear the laughter with which you greeted every hardship. Once more I see you in your bivouacs or about your fires, on forced march or in the trenches, now shivering with wet and cold, now scorched by a pitiless and burning sun. Uncomplaining you endure hunger and thirst and wounds; and at the last your unwavering lines disappear into the smoke and wrath of battle. Bravest of the brave, most generous of the generous, never had country more faithful friends than you.

”

One of his grand-children is Geoffrey L. Smith.

[edit] References

• Dictionary of National Biography
• Wright, J.C. & Cowan, C.D. (1984) "Obituary: Sir Ralph Lilley Turner." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. University of London. Vol. 47, No. 3. pp. 540-548.

[edit] Works

• A Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language
• A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Staff. The Gurkhas - Britain's oldest allies BBC, 4 December, 1997