Endzelin, Ian Martsevich

Born Feb. 10 (22), 1873, near Valmiera; died July 1, 1961, in Koknese. Soviet linguist. Corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1929); academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR(1946). Honored Scientist of the Latvian SSR (1945).

In 1900, Endzelin graduated from the University of Iur’ev (now the University of Tartu). He became a professor at the University of Kharkov in 1911 and the University of Riga in 1920. He conducted research on the Latvian, Old Prussian, and Old Baltic languages and on Balto-Slavic and Finno-Baltic linguistic relations. Endzelin wrote A Grammar of the Latvian Language (1951; Lenin Prize, 1958) and helped create the modern Latvian writing system. He studied the history of Latvian literature and folklore.

Endzelin was awarded the Order of Lenin and two other orders.