Kitų kalbų tikrinių vardų rašymo probleminiai atvejai latvių kalboje

222 Languages and Culture | 83 DZINTRA ŠULCE University of Liepaja, Latvia PROBLEMATIC CASES OF PRONUNCIATION AND WRITENING OF REAL NAME IN OTHER LANGUAGES In Latvian, all languages, including Latvian, have problems with the pronunciation and writing of real names. Problems arise when using Latvian-origin real names in another language, and when writing real names of other languages in Latvian. writing the proper names of other languages was practically necessary to start from the very first printed texts in Latvian, but the scientifically based discussion of linguists about the most appropriate writing principles began in the second half of the 19th century (bergmane, blinkena 1986: 97). J. Alunas was the first to put f o n e t i n in p r i n c i p as the main letter in writing foreign real names. He also proposed to add the endings of Latvian words and in individual cases to write them in parentheses in the original language. The proposals of J. Alunas were further successfully developed by the linguists K. Muulenbach and J. Endzelynas. These principles are universal and have remained relevant to this day. The actual names of other languages are still written according to their pronunciation in the original language, only in the letters of the Latvian alphabet, and the actual names thus translated are incorporated into the Latvian grammar system, i.e., they are deciphered. The history of the language shows that in the past the real names of other peoples were translated into Latvian. Ver t imo pr inc ipa s means adaptation of another nation’s fictional literature, folklore works, historical events, personalities, etc. to the peculiarities and specificities of one’s nation, country’s perception (usually through translation). According to this principle, the names of individual historical figures, mainly monarchs, are used, for example: the Russian tsar Jānis Briesmīgais, also Bargais, Asiņainais, now – Ivans Bargais (Ivan the Angry), tsar John Plantagenet, the Lackland, also known as John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland, John Plantagenet, the Lackland such translation (sometimes near the original) currently popular D. ShulcE. Problems of writing real names of other languages in Latvian 223 in publications, this is exactly what the writer M. svyrė did, publishing her description of her trip to Brazil Orchids under the blue winter sky (2004). She justifies her choice of presenting foreign place names in this way as follows: “I would like to present the names of places in the original language, so that the attentive reader would notice how similar the thinking of the first settlers and the old inhabitants of the region was” (p. 8). but the writer also translates into Latvian, e.g. : Grupo Verde (Green Group; p. 90). There is a p r e cedent o pr i n c i p – its essence is to spell the real word as it was done for the first time in Latvian (DNZs 2003: 33), since too frequent alternation of the spelling of real names disturbs the reader. For example, the name of the English writer John Galsworthy has been changed eight times in Latvian since 1910. In fiction, in individual cases, foreign real names are presented creatively. this is done if the author has created the person names in the original language by special phonetic means for the sake of a shade of meaning, some nuance or mood. this could disappear with phonetic translation of names. As an example of such creativity is usually cited u. bėrzinis’s translation of the part of the Edda treatise on mythology and poetry by the Icelandic poet Snorri Sturluson (originally Snorri Sturluson, Latin: Snorre Sturlasons) from the 12th to 13th centuries: Gilves acumalds (The Enchantment of Gilves; Ga 1997): Gaitgājis, Vaigkvēpis, Zeltpiere (composed words not translated into other languages, individual novelties), as well as J. K. Rowling's translations of the characters' names in the Harry Potter books: Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin, Vaidu Vaira. Moaning If the actual words are written in a non-Latin alphabet, they are transliterated, e.g. : Sergei Rebrov, Rudolf Nuriev, Mikhail Barishnikov. Myrtle, lie. Vaituoklė Mirta) ir kt. (DNZs 2003: 33). The spelling of real names of other languages in Latvian is generally sound and orderly, but the phonetic principle is increasingly criticized. Professor J. Endzelynas wrote about the spelling of surnames in Latvian: "...each cultured nation adapts foreign surnames to a certain extent to its own spelling. Our legislators should take care that in Latvian public institutions, starting with schools, surnames are also written according to our orthography” (Endzelīns 1921: 26. apr.). In the Republic of Latvia, in the 1920s and 1930s, the following rules were established for the writing of surnames (including borrowed surnames) in Latvian documents: 1) the gender of a person is indicated by the conjugated 224 Languages Culture | 83 cycles, a dictionary of names spelling was published (Uzvārdu pareizrakstības vārdnīca, 1927; led by Latvian university lecturer E. Blese). After the Second World War, a great deal of work was put into preparing the series of publications on the spelling and pronunciation of foreign words in individual languages in Latvian – Norādījumi par citvalodu īpašvārdu pareizrakstību un pareizrunu latviešu literārajā valodā, as well as the work Par vārdu un uzvārdu lietošanu un rakstību latviešu literārajā valodā, published in 1999. The most recent instructions are included in the Rules on the writing and use of personal names in Latvian and their identification, adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia – Noteikumi par personvārdu rakstību un lietošanu latviešu valodā, kā arī to identifikāciju (Regulations 2004: 27–38), which emphasizes that personal names are part of the Latvian grammar system: their gender, number and syllable are expressed by variable endings, the ending changing according to the context. endings of the masculine or feminine gender in both Latvian and foreign-origin surnames (except for unchangeable surnames); 2) personal nouns of other languages are written in Latvian according to their pronunciation in the original language and adapted to the Latvian grammar system. However, there is now increasing opposition to adapting names and surnames to the Latvian grammar system and to adding the appropriate endings. For example, the case of Latvian resident Lidija Kuharec was sent to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for consideration, citing as a ground the violation of the right to privacy, because the corresponding ending – Kuhareca – was added to her name in the Latvian passport (Diena, 27 July 2001); A similar case was the case of the surname Makeičik, which was entered in the Latvian passport with the ending – Ilona Makeičika. Errors, inaccuracies and deviations from the original names may arise due to other, i.e. intermediate, languages. For a long time the intermediary was the Russian language, in turn, the fascination with English today has caused new problems. Sometimes, the writing of the actual words of other languages deviates from the accepted basic principles. Such exceptions are, for example, the traditional spelling: Gēteborga (Göteborg; pronunciation would be Jēteborja), Parīze (Paris; pronunciation would be Parī), as well as some translated or semi-translated geographical names, e.g. : New Guinea, Yugoslavia, Great Lakes (bush 1980: 94–98). D. ShulcE. Problems with spelling real names of other languages in Latvian 225 The change of phonetic adaptation in real names should be carefully evaluated. Usually, the conflict between the older, traditional spelling and the new proposal arises when an attempt is made to more accurately reproduce the pronunciation of the original language, for example: vowel replacement in the words Ísland, until 2006 – Islande (Iceland), īslandieši, until 2006 – islandieši (Icelandians), or the name and surname of the Swedish writer Selma lagerlef (originally Selma Lagerlöf, now Selma Lāgerlēva) being brought closer to the original language (previously la. Zelma Lāgerlefa). Latvian linguists are constantly discussing the choice of the most appropriate principles for writing proper names of other languages. Each principle has its advantages and disadvantages. Reading the latest Latvian publications, it can be noticed that the real names and names of other languages are mostly written according to the already established phonetic principle, so readers can get information relatively quickly and in a comprehensible form, and also this does not interfere with the clear perception of the content. When writing a foreign personal name in the text for the first time, the original form is often given in parentheses in a different font, and only the Latvian form is used further, e.g.: “Feliksa Valotona (Felix Vallotton) glezna, kas tapusi 1907. gadā” (a painting by Felix Vallotton, which was created in 1907) (50 PPP 2001: 170). The main benefit of such writing is undoubtedly the reader, who can easily understand the text and at the same time supplement their knowledge of foreign languages. it is true that this type of writing (presentation in Latvian + original form) requires a lot of work and complicates the author, because it requires both knowledge of the relevant foreign language and time to be written accurately and correctly in both languages. With the growing contacts between countries and languages, more and more attention is being paid to writing real names in the original language. Attempts to put the original spelling principle into practice have also often proved as problematic and imperfect as the criticized phonetic writing principle. The change in the practice of using real names in other languages can cause confusion, because thousands of real names have already been established and stabilized in the language – from Caesar (Cēzars, orig. Caesar) and Shakespeare (Šekspīrs, orig. Shakespeare) to George Bush (George Bush) and mister Bīns, orig. Mr. Bean. Changing their writing in Latvian would cause both practical problems and even emotional dissatisfaction. In turn, allowing to write at least part of the familiar real names in the traditional way, it will often no longer be possible to determine whether a particular spelling conveys the pronunciation of the original language or the original writing (busch 2008: 96). 226 Languages and Culture | 83 Often problems arise when writing real names where the original language uses diacritical marks. In practice, they are often not marked, although the use of additional characters is important for any language. The reference to the original spelling is preferable in scientific and popular science texts, as well as in official documents to indicate the name or surname of a person. written texts intended for the general public should not be made an exclusive subject that can only be understood by people who speak the foreign language in question. The main condition for the development of any language is to take into account the dialectical contradiction between conservatism and language change. The study of theoretical literature and analysis of practical examples, it can be concluded that the writing of real names in the original language has a double meaning: it encourages the learning of foreign languages, provides direct (unchanged) information, but, on the other hand, reckless, exaggerated, incorrect and incorrect writing in such cases unnecessarily distracts the attention of readers, may be the cause of incorrect perception of the content, as well as complicate the pronunciation and spelling of such real names. It is desirable to find an optimal and acceptable solution for the use of the original spelling in Latvian texts. ŠaltINIaI Diena – cilvēktiesību tiesā – sūdzība no latvijas par uzvārda kropļošanu. – Diena, 2001, 27. jūl. Ga – sturlasons s. Gilves acumalds. tulk. u. bērziņš. rīga: Nordik, 1997. svīre – svīre M. Orhidejas zem zilām ziemas debesīm, rīga: lauku avīze, 2004. 50 PPP – 50 pasaules populāri pāri, rīga: J. l.V., 2001. lItEratūra b a l o d e I. 2010: citvalodu personvārdu atveide latviešu valodā: problēmas un risinājumi. – Valodas prakse vērojumi un ieteikumi, rīga: latviešu valodas aģentūra, 4–13. b e r g m a n e a., b l i n k e n a a. 1986: Latviešu rakstības attīstība, rīga: Zinātne. b l i n k e n a a. 1974: citvalodu nosaukumu un apzīmējumu lietošanas problēmas latviešu valodā. – Latviešu valodas kultūras jautājumi, 10. laidiens, rīga: liesma, 175–194. b u š s o. 1980: Konservatīvums un mainīgums citvalodu īpašvārdu atveidē. – Latviešu valodas kultūras jautājumi, 20. laidiens, rīga: avots, 94–98. D. ŠulcE. Kitų kalbų tikrinių vardų rašymo probleminiai atvejai latvių kalboje 227 b u š s o. 2008: Īpašvārdi kā problēma valodas politikā. – Etniskums Eiropā: sociālpolitiskie un kultūras procesi, rēzekne: rēzeknes augstskola, 92–96. DNZs 2003: Dāņu, norvēģu, zviedru un somu īpašvārdu atveide latviešu valodā, rīga: Norden ab, 13–35. E n d z e l ī n s J. 1921: Par uzvārdu rakstību latviešu valodā. – Latvijas Sargs, 26. apr. Norādījumi 1960–1982: Norādījumi par citvalodu īpašvārdu pareizrakstību un pareizrunu latviešu literārajā valodā, I–XV, rīga: Zinātne. Noteikumi 2004: Noteikumi par personvārdu rakstību un lietošanu latviešu valodā, kā arī to identifikāciju. – Latvijas Vēstnesis, 6. burtnīca, 5. marts, 27–38. o z o l s a., Ku š ķ i s J. 1967: Par latīniskās grafikas citvalodu nosaukumu un teicienu rakstīšanu. – Latviešu valodas kultūras jautājumi, 3. laidiens, rīga: liesma, 5–12. Par vārdu 1999: Par vārdu un uzvārdu lietošanu un rakstību latviešu literārajā valodā, rīga: lr Valsts valodas centrs. s k u j i ņ a V. 1999: Latviešu valoda lietišķajos rakstos, rīga: Zvaigzne abc. s t a b u r ova J. 2005: Ķīniešu valodas īpašvārdu atveide latviešu valodā. – Valodas prakse: vērojumi un ieteikumi, rīga: lu akadēmiskais apgāds, 87–100. s t r a u t i ņ a V., Š u l c e Dz. 2009: Latviešu valodas pareizruna un pareizrakstība, rīga: raKa. Š u l c e Dz. 2009: oriģinālrakstījumi latviešu valodā. – Valodas prakse: vērojumi un ieteikumi, rīga: lu akadēmiskais apgāds, 91–99. Received 28/10/2010 ProblEMatIc casEs oF rENDErING borWED ProPEr NaMEs INto latVIaN Summary Problematic character of spelling and pronunciation of proper names becomes apparent in all languages, including latvian, a cognate language of lithuanian. Difficulties arise both when words of latvian origin are used in another language and when rendering borrowed proper names into latvian. scientifically based principles of rendering borrowed proper names into latvian were defined in the second half of the 19th century. these principles bear a sufficiently universal character and they have preserved their topicality even nowadays. borrowed proper names still follow the pronunciation rules of the original In the case of the Latvian language, only letters of the Latvian alphabet are used in their spelling, and the rendered proper names are included into the Latvian grammar system. language history shows that early borrowed personal names were localised and translated into latvian. It means adjustment of literary and folklore pieces, historic events, personalities etc. to the singularity of the given nation, of the country and specific character of perception. When proper names of the original language are not written in latin letters, they are transliterated in latvian. the spelling of the borrowed proper names in latvian, taken as a whole, is fixed and complies with the rules; however, deviations from the pronunciation principle become more frequent, especially in cases of personal names of foreign origin. Mistakes, inaccuracies and deviations from the original version of proper names can be caused by the influence of other languages. For quite a long time, russian was used as an intermediary language; nowadays new problems arise from the strong infatuation with English versions. latvialisation of borrowed proper names according to their pronunciation, with the original form enclosed in brackets, is mentioned as the most optimal principle of rendering borrowed proper names. In such cases this will certainly bring most benefit to the reader, for whom the text might become easier to perceive. With contacts between countries and languages developing, in practice more attention is given to the original spelling of proper names. DZINtra ŠulcE University of Liepaja Kūrmājas prosp. 13, lV-3401 liepāja [email protected]