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Jaan Puhvel

1932 – 2026

American-Estonian linguist

Linguist MythographerIndo-Europeanist
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About Jaan Puhvel

Lived 1932 – 2026 (aged 94). Jaan Puhvel was an Estonian and American linguist, mythographer and indo-Europeanist.

Selected works

(Contributor) Studies Presented to Joshua Whatmough, Mouton, 1957. Laryngeals and the Indo-European Verb. University of California Press, 1960. (Contributor) Mycenaean Studies, University of Wisconsin Press, 1964. (Contributor) Evidence for Laryngeals, Mouton, 1965. (Editor with Henrik Birnbaum, and Contributor) Ancient Indo-European Dialects, University of California Press, 1966. (Editor) Substance and Structure of Language, University of California Press, 1969. (Editor and Contributor) Myth and Law among the Indo-Europeans: Studies in Indo-European Comparative Mythology, University of California Press, 1970. (Contributor) Indo-European and Indo- Europeans, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1970. (Editor and Contributor) Baltic Literature and Linguistics, Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, 1973. (Co-editor with Gerald James Larson and C. Scott Littleton, and Contributor) Myth in Indo-European Antiquity, University of California Press, 1974. (Editor with Ronald Stroud) California Studies in Classical Antiquity, Volume 8, University of California Press, 1976. Analecta Indoeuropaea, Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Innsbruck, 1981. (Editor) Georges Dumezil, The Stakes of the Warrior, University of California Press, 1983. (Editor) Hittite Etymological Dictionary. Mouton de Gruyter, 1984– . (Editor with David Weeks) The Plight of the Sorcerer, University of California Press, 1986. Comparative Mythology, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987. Homer and Hittite. Institut für Sprachwissenschaft der Universität Innsbruck, 1991. Ulgvel ja umbes: poole sajandi hajalauitmeid, esseid ja arvustusi, Ilmamaa, 2001. Võõraile võõrsil: eesti- ja soomeainelisi esseid ja arvustusi, Ilmamaa, 2007. (Contributor) Gilgameši eepos”, Alfapress, 2010.

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, McGill University, Uppsala University
Employers
University of California, Berkeley
Awards
Order of the White Star, 3rd Class; Guggenheim Fellowship

People in Jaan Puhvel's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jaan Puhvel's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jaan Puhvel?

American-Estonian linguist (1932-2026)

When was Jaan Puhvel born?

Jaan Puhvel was born on 24 January 1932 in Tallinn.

When did Jaan Puhvel die?

Jaan Puhvel died on 25 April 2026 in Los Angeles.

What was Jaan Puhvel's occupation?

Jaan Puhvel was a linguist, mythographer and indo-Europeanist.

What nationality was Jaan Puhvel?

Jaan Puhvel was Estonian and American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jaan Puhvel

· Wikidata: Q1676768

· DBpedia: Jaan Puhvel

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jaan Puhvel. https://biography.guide/jaan-puhvel/

MLA: "Jaan Puhvel." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jaan-puhvel/.

Chicago: "Jaan Puhvel." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jaan-puhvel/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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