Gustaf John Ramstedt
Encyclopedia
Gustaf John Ramstedt was a Swedish-speaking Finnish
linguist
and diplomat.
in Southern Finland
.
As an undergraduate, he attended the University of Helsinki
, where he studied Finno-Ugric languages
under Eemil Nestor Setälä
. He was later attracted to the study of Altaic languages
and went to Mongolia
to study the Mongolian language
at the suggestion of Otto Donner
. He later became professor extraordinarius in Altaic languages
at the same university.
During his expeditions in Mongolia, Ramstedt become a personal friend to highly educated Buryat
Mongol Agvan Dorzhiev
who acted as full representantive of 13th Dalai Lama
, Thubten Gyatso and was a full member in Tibetan Government, Kashag
as Minister of Treasures (Finances). Ramstedt was one of the few foreigners who was invited to visit Lhasa, but unfortunately the coming events prevented his visit to Tibet. In 1911 the Mongolian delegation in St.Petersburg asked Ramstedt to act as mediator with Imperial Russian government to support the Mongolian Independence from Chinese Empire
. He managed to confirm the Russians of the good will of Mongolian representantives and they supplied 15.000 modern rifles to the Mongolians to start the uprising against the Chinese rule in Mongolia.
In 1912, when Ramstedt was in Urga
, Mongolia
, the Mongol leaders; Da-Lama, Handan Dordzhi, and Haisan-Gung asked him to help with the negotiations with the Russian representantives which did not accept the Mongol idea to unify Urjanhai, Mongolia
(including also Inner Mongolia
) and Buryat Mongolia to one modern Mongol State. Ramstedt advised the Mongol leaders to seek also international recognition for their state from other states, particularly Japan, Britain, Germany, France and United States. Ramstedt did not know anything of the secret agreement between Russia
and Japan
where Inner Mongolia
was promised by both States to be kept as a part of China
.
Following the independence of Finland in 1917, he became Finland
's first envoy to Japan
, as a Chargé d'affaires
, from 1920 to 1929, during which he was a frequent guest lecturer at Tokyo Imperial University, where he influenced Kunio Yanagita
, Izuru Shimura, Kyōsuke Kindaichi
, and Shimpei Ogura. He acquired command of the Japanese language remarkably quickly.
Ramsted is one of the earliest esperantist
in Finland, learning it in 1891. He became chairman of the Finnish Esperanto Society. During his stay in Japan, he joined Esperanto-movement there, led by Japanese Esperanto Institute. Due to his speech in Japanese, young poet Kenji Miyazawa
decided to learn Esperanto.
Ramstedt was a pioneer in the study of numeral etymologies of a number of Asian language families (Turkic, Mongolian, Tungusic, as well as the possible isolate Korean). He also did extensive work on the general etymological history of Korean.
Ramstedt died in Helsinki
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
linguist
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
and diplomat.
Biography
Ramstedt was born in EkenäsEkenäs
Ekenäs is a former town and municipality of Finland comprising the former municipalities Snappertuna and Tenala together with the town of Ekenäs. It was merged with Pohja and Karis to form the new municipality of Raseborg on January 1, 2009....
in Southern Finland
Southern Finland
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
.
As an undergraduate, he attended the University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
, where he studied Finno-Ugric languages
Finno-Ugric languages
Finno-Ugric , Finno-Ugrian or Fenno-Ugric is a traditional group of languages in the Uralic language family that comprises the Finno-Permic and Ugric language families....
under Eemil Nestor Setälä
Eemil Nestor Setälä
Eemil Nestor Setälä, was a Finnish politician and once the Chairman of the Senate of Finland, from September 1917 to November 1917....
. He was later attracted to the study of Altaic languages
Altaic languages
Altaic is a proposed language family that includes the Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic, and Japonic language families and the Korean language isolate. These languages are spoken in a wide arc stretching from northeast Asia through Central Asia to Anatolia and eastern Europe...
and went to Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
to study the Mongolian language
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
at the suggestion of Otto Donner
Otto Donner
Otto Donner was a Finnish linguist and politician. He was professor of Sanskrit and Comparative Indo-European linguistics at the University of Helsinki, but also studied the Finno-Ugric languages. He was a member of the Finnish parliament 1877–1905, and minister of education 1905–1908...
. He later became professor extraordinarius in Altaic languages
Altaic languages
Altaic is a proposed language family that includes the Turkic, Mongolic, Tungusic, and Japonic language families and the Korean language isolate. These languages are spoken in a wide arc stretching from northeast Asia through Central Asia to Anatolia and eastern Europe...
at the same university.
During his expeditions in Mongolia, Ramstedt become a personal friend to highly educated Buryat
Buryats
The Buryats or Buriyads , numbering approximately 436,000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland, the Buryat Republic, a federal subject of Russia...
Mongol Agvan Dorzhiev
Agvan Dorzhiev
Agvan Lobsan Dorzhiev, also Agvan Dorjiev or Dorjieff , was a Russian-born monk of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, sometimes referred by his scholarly title as Tsenyi Khempo...
who acted as full representantive of 13th Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, Thubten Gyatso and was a full member in Tibetan Government, Kashag
Kashag
The Kashag was the governing council of Tibet during Qing Dynasty and Republic of China. It was set by Qianlong Emperor in 1751. In that year the Tibetan government was reorganized after the riots in Lhasa of the previous year...
as Minister of Treasures (Finances). Ramstedt was one of the few foreigners who was invited to visit Lhasa, but unfortunately the coming events prevented his visit to Tibet. In 1911 the Mongolian delegation in St.Petersburg asked Ramstedt to act as mediator with Imperial Russian government to support the Mongolian Independence from Chinese Empire
Late Imperial China
Late Imperial China refers to the period between the end of Mongol rule in 1368 and the establishment of the Republic of China in 1912 and includes the Ming and Qing Dynasties...
. He managed to confirm the Russians of the good will of Mongolian representantives and they supplied 15.000 modern rifles to the Mongolians to start the uprising against the Chinese rule in Mongolia.
In 1912, when Ramstedt was in Urga
Urga
Urga may refer to:* Ulan Bator, the capital of the republic of Mongolia* Ürgə, a municipality in Azerbaijan* Urga aka Close to Eden, a film by Nikita Mikhalkov, 1992...
, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, the Mongol leaders; Da-Lama, Handan Dordzhi, and Haisan-Gung asked him to help with the negotiations with the Russian representantives which did not accept the Mongol idea to unify Urjanhai, Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
(including also Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
) and Buryat Mongolia to one modern Mongol State. Ramstedt advised the Mongol leaders to seek also international recognition for their state from other states, particularly Japan, Britain, Germany, France and United States. Ramstedt did not know anything of the secret agreement between Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
was promised by both States to be kept as a part of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Following the independence of Finland in 1917, he became Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's first envoy to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, as a Chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
, from 1920 to 1929, during which he was a frequent guest lecturer at Tokyo Imperial University, where he influenced Kunio Yanagita
Kunio Yanagita
was a Japanese scholar who is often known as the father of Japanese native folkloristics, or minzokugaku.He was born in Fukusaki, Hyōgo Prefecture. After graduating with a degree in law from Tokyo Imperial University, he became employed as a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce...
, Izuru Shimura, Kyōsuke Kindaichi
Kyosuke Kindaichi
was an eminent Japanese linguist from Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. He is chiefly known for his dictations of yukar, or sagas of the Ainu people. Linguist Haruhiko Kindaichi was his son....
, and Shimpei Ogura. He acquired command of the Japanese language remarkably quickly.
Ramsted is one of the earliest esperantist
Esperantist
An Esperantist is a person who speaks or uses Esperanto. Etymologically, an Esperantist is someone who hopes...
in Finland, learning it in 1891. He became chairman of the Finnish Esperanto Society. During his stay in Japan, he joined Esperanto-movement there, led by Japanese Esperanto Institute. Due to his speech in Japanese, young poet Kenji Miyazawa
Kenji Miyazawa
was a Japanese poet and author of children's literature in the early Shōwa period of Japan. He was also known as a devout Buddhist, vegetarian and social activist.-Early life:...
decided to learn Esperanto.
Ramstedt was a pioneer in the study of numeral etymologies of a number of Asian language families (Turkic, Mongolian, Tungusic, as well as the possible isolate Korean). He also did extensive work on the general etymological history of Korean.
Ramstedt died in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.
Publications
- Bergtscheremissische Sprachstudien, Helsinki, 1902 (Hill)
- "Über die Zahlwörter der altaischen Sprachen," JSFOu 24: 1-24, 1905
- "Studies in Korean Etymology," MSFOu 95, Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 1949
- A Korean Grammar. Helsinki: Suomalais-ugrilainen Seura, 1939.
- Einführung in die altaische Sprachwissenschaft, 'Introduction to Altaic Linguistics', 2 volumes. Helsinki: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura, 1952-1957.