hiː wˈɜːkt ɪnðɪ ˈɪndiən sˈɪvəl sˈɜːvɪs bˌʌt ɐn ˈɪntɹɛst ɪn fɪlˈɑːlədʒi ænd lɪŋɡwˈɪstɪks lˈɛd hˌɪm tə pɚsˈuː stˈʌdiz ɪnðə lˈæŋɡwɪdʒᵻz ænd fˈoʊkloːɹ ʌv ˈɪndiə dˈʊɹɹɪŋ hɪz pˈoʊstɪŋz ɪn bˌɛŋɡˈɔːl ænd bᵻhˈɑːɹ.
He worked in the Indian Civil Service but an interest in philology and linguistics led him to pursue studies in the languages and folklore of India during his postings in Bengal and Bihar.