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From: iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Ivan A Derzhanski)
Subject: Re: Pronouncing your name in another language
Message-ID: <D2Jurx.L4x@cogsci.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, UK
References: <3fc8bm$q11@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com> <1995Jan16.014435.25029@midway.uchicago.edu> <3ffo14$dh6@agate.berkeley.edu>
Date: Tue, 17 Jan 1995 12:31:04 GMT
Lines: 32

In article <3ffo14$dh6@agate.berkeley.edu> coby@euler.Berkeley.EDU (Coby (Jacob) Lubliner) writes:
>In article <1995Jan16.014435.25029@midway.uchicago.edu>, Daniel von Brighoff <deb5@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>>If Mr. Klikov's wife wants to be known as "Klikov'a", no
>>one will prevent her from doing so.  However, she will have to explain
>>to a large number of people that this is merely her husband's name 
>>with a feminine suffix.
>
>The feminine forms of Slavic surnames are not necessarily due
>to marriage, and in any case there is no reason why any woman
>would "have to explain to a large number of people" the origin
>of her name.

The point is that people tend to assume that a daughter's surname must
be the same as her father's and that a wife's surname must be the same
as her husband's, and either are not used to the thought that in some
languages the feminine forms are different or just aren't able to
guess what the difference might be in each particular case.

>I don't recall Martina Navratilova ever explaining
>to any one that her father's name is Navratil.

No, but she would have to do that if people started calling him
Mr Navratilova', assuming that his daughter would be bearing his surname.
My mother tells stories about the endless annoyance of the husband of one
of her colleagues, whom his wife's German acquaintances constantly
addressed as Herr Mintschewa.

-- 
`Don't know whit ye're bletherin aboot', said Peter.    (The Glasgow Gospel)
Ivan A Derzhanski (iad@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, iad@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu)
* Centre for Cognitive Science,  2 Buccleuch Place,   Edinburgh EH8 9LW,  UK
* Cowan House E113, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Pk Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5BD, UK
