Ludvig Olsen Fossum
norwegian-born American Lutheran missionary and Kurdologist (1879–1920)
Ludvig Olsen Fossum (1879–1920) was a Norwegian-born American Lutheran missionary, linguist, translator and Kurdologist. He worked principally among the Kurds of north-western Iran, especially around Sauj Bulāq (modern Mahabad), and is regarded as one of the pioneers of modern Kurdish linguistic studies.
Early life
Fossum was born in Norway in 1879 and later emigrated to the United States. He entered the Lutheran ministry and was appointed as a missionary to Persia, where he served among the Kurdish population of north-western Iran.
Missionary work
Fossum was stationed primarily at Sauj Bulāq (now Mahabad). In addition to evangelistic work, he established schools, undertook relief work and devoted considerable effort to learning the Kurdish language and culture.
During the First World War he wrote extensively on conditions affecting the Kurdish population and contributed reports to missionary periodicals.
Death
Fossum died in 1920 at the age of 41. Contemporary medical opinion attributed his death to heart failure, although later accounts have noted that the circumstances were not fully clarified and no autopsy was performed.
Contributions to Kurdish studies
Fossum is best remembered for his work on the Mukri dialect of Kurdish.
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