French modification of foreign names

Leonardo   Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:13 am GMT
In France, foreign names are often translated into a French version. E.g., the famous Leonardo da Vinci is called in French "Léonard de Vinci". Is this type of modification also usual in other languages? And what is the advantage of replacing original names by national versions?
PARISIEN   Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:38 am GMT
This has nothing specifically French. Before the 18th century the names of famous foreigners were always translated, everywhere, Charlemagne/Karl der Große being called "Carlomagno" in Italy or "Karl den Store" in Sweden for instance.

Now the Spanish king is called in French 'Juan Carlos', but no doubt that in Renaissance times we would have called him 'Jean-Charles'!

There is a particular case with inherently multicultural celebrities. Late Belgian king was 'Baudouin' in French and 'Boudewijn' in Dutch. Being supposed no to be tied to any particular culture, the Pope's name is still translated in all languages: 'Benediktus' in German, 'Benedetto' in Italian, 'Benoît' in French etc.
sula   Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:46 am GMT
How come Prince William is 'el príncipe Guillermo' in Spanish?
príncipe   Mon Jul 27, 2009 10:59 am GMT
"How come Prince William is 'el príncipe Guillermo' in Spanish?"

The Italians also stick to the habit of translating foreign names. They say "il re Alberto" for the current King of the Belgians.
Guest   Mon Jul 27, 2009 11:34 am GMT
In Spanish it's Leonardo Da Vinci. The pope is still called el papa Ratzinger by many people.
blanckish   Mon Jul 27, 2009 5:10 pm GMT
In English, it's comon to translate names. Certainly anything in a non-latin alphabet gets converted (Beijing, Vladivostok, etc.). Some Italian and Spanish names get often get snipped off (Seville, Rome), and even Paris gets changed in pronunciation.

Also, the pronuncitaion of US towns with foreign names is often heavily Americanized. Examples: Pierre (SD), Delhi (NY), New Orleans, Amarillo (TX).
greg   Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:40 pm GMT
Montreal People See French Losing Ground
Mathieu Turbide
Le Journal de Montréal
18/02/2009 09h10

La langue française perd du terrain à Montréal, et l'économie se dégrade, constatent une majorité des Montréalais interrogés dans le cadre d'un sondage Léger Marketing-Le Journal de Montréal.
Trois Montréalais sur cinq trouvent que l'état de la langue Française dans leur ville se détériore.

L'opinion des Montréalais rejoint donc les conclusions de plusieurs rapports -et d'une récente enquête du Journal de Montréal -qui démontrent que l'utilisation du français recule à Montréal, particulièrement dans les commerces du centre-ville.

Le gouvernement a lancé plus tôt cet hiver une vaste campagne pour promouvoir l'usage du français dans les commerces montréalais.
jules   Wed Jul 29, 2009 6:22 pm GMT
je ne m'inquiète pas pour montréal.

les alarmistes adorent se faire peur.
Leonardo   Tue Aug 04, 2009 11:06 am GMT
If the names of the popes are put together in their national versions, we see that French is especially creative in making Latin names French ones:


French Italian Spanish Latin English German
Adéodat (ou Dieudonné) Adeodato Adeodato Adeodatus Adeodatus (or Deusdedit) Adeodatus
Agapet Agapito Agapito Agapetus Agapetus Agapitus
Agathon Agatone Agatón Agatho Agatho Agatho
Alexandre Alessandro Alejandro Alexander Alexander Alexander
Anaclet (ou Clet) Anacleto Anacleto Anacletus Anacletus (or Cletus) Anaklet
Anastase Anastasio Anastasio Anastasius Anastasius Anastasius
Anicet Aniceto Aniceto Anicetus Anicetus Anicetus
Antère Antero Antero Anterus Anterus Anterus
Benoît Benedetto Benedicto Benedictus Benedict Benedikt
Boniface Bonifacio Bonifacio Bonifacius Boniface Bonifatius
Caïus (ou Gaïus) Caio Cayo Caius Caius (or Gaius) Cajus
Clément Clemente Clemente Clemens Clement Clemens
Célestin Celestino Celestino Caelestinus Celestine Coelestin
Corneille Cornelio Cornelio Cornelius Cornelius Cornelius
Damase Damaso Dámaso Damasus Damasus Damasus
Denys Dionisio Dionisio Dionysius Dionysius Dionysius
Donus Dono Dono Donus Donus Donus
Éleuthère Eleuterio Eleuterio Eleuther Eleuterus Eleutherus
Eugène Eugenio Eugenio Eugenius Eugene Eugen
Eusèbe Eusebio Eusebio Eusebius Eusebius Eusebius
Eutychien Eutichiano Eutiquiano Eutychianus Eutychian Eutychianus
Évariste Evaristo Evaristo Evaristus Evaristus Evaristus
Fabien Fabiano Fabián Fabianus Fabian Fabianus
Félix Felice Félix Felix Felix Felix
Formose Formoso Formoso Formosus Formosus Formosus
Gélase Gelasio Gelasio Gelasius Gelasius Gelasius
Grégoire Gregorio Gregorio Gregorius Gregory Gregor
Adrien Adriano Adriano Hadrianus Adrian Hadrian
Hilaire Ilairo Hilario Hilarius Hilarius Hilarius
Honorius Onorio Honorio Honorius Honorius Honorius
Hormisdas Ormisda Hormisdas Hormisdas Hormisdas Hormisdas
Hygin Igino Higinio Hyginus Hyginus Hyginus
Innocent Innocenzo Inocencio Innocentius Innocent Innozenz
Jean Giovanni Juan Ioannes John Johannes
Jean-Paul Giovanni Paolo Juan Pablo Ioannes Paulus John Paul Johannes Paul   
Jules Giulio Julio Iulius Julius Julius
Calixte Callisto Calixto Callistus Callixtus Kalixt
Conon Conone Conón Conon Conon Konon
Constantin Costantino Constantino Constantinus Constantine Konstantin
Landon Lando Landón Lando Lando Lando
Léon Leone León Leo Leo Leo
Libère Liberio Liberio Liberius Liberius Liberius
Lin Lino Lino Linus Linus Linus
Lucius Lucio Lucio Lucius Lucius Lucius
Marcellin Marcellino Marcelino Marcellinus Marcellinus Marcellinus
Marcel Marcello Marcelo Marcellus Marcellus Marcellus
Marc Marco Marcos Marcus Mark Marcus
Marin Marino Marino Marinus Marinus Marin
Martin Martino Martín Martinus Martin Martin
Miltiade Milziade Melquíades Miltiades Miltiades Miltiades
Nicolas Nicola Nicolás Nicolaus Nicholas Nikolaus
Pascal Pasquale Pascual Paschalis Paschal Paschalis
Paul Paolo Pablo Paulus Paul Paul
Pélage Pelagio Pelagio Pelagius Pelagius Pelagius
Pierre Pietro Pedro Petrus Peter Petrus (Peter)
Pie Pio Pío Pius Pius Pius
Pontien Ponziano Ponciano Pontianus Pontian Pontianus
Romain Romano Romano Romanus Romanus Romanus
Sabinien Sabiniano Sabiniano Sabinianus Sabinian Sabinianus
Serge Sergio Sergio Sergius Sergius Sergius
Séverin Severino Severino Severinus Severinus Severinus
Silvère Silverio Silverio Silverius Silverius Silverius
Sylvestre Silvestro Silvestre Silvester Sylvester Silvester
Simplice Simplicio Simplicio Simplicius Simplicius Simplicius
Sirice Siricio Siricio Siricius Siricius Siricius
Sisinnius Sisinnio Sisino Sisinnius Sisinnius Sisinnius
Sixte (ou Xyste) Sisto Sixto Sixtus Sixtus (or Xystus) Sixtus
Sôter Sotero Sotero Soterius Soter Soterus
Étienne Stefano Esteban Stephanus Stephen Stephan
Symmaque Simmaco Símaco Symmachus Symmachus Symmachus
Télesphore Telesforo Telesforo Telesphorus Telesphorus Telesphorus
Théodore Teodoro Teodoro Theodorus Theodore Theodor
Urbain Urbano Urbano Urbanus Urban Urban
Valentin Valentino Valentín Valentinus Valentine Valentin
Vigile Vigilio Vigilio Vigilius Vigilius Vigilius
Victor Vittorio Víctor Victor Victor Viktor
Vitalien Vitaliano Vitaliano Vitalianus Vitalian Vitalian
Zacharie Zaccaria Zacarías Zacharias Zachary Zacharias
Zéphyrin Zefferino Ceferino Zephyrinus Zephyrinus Zephyrinus
Zosime Zosimo Zósimo Zosimus Zosimus Zosimus
South Korean   Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:27 pm GMT
Not to mention the Greek names being modified in English, French and other European languages.

Platon -> Plato
Socrates (TES, not TEEZ)
Aristoteles -> Aristotle
Athene -> Athens
Hi   Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:55 pm GMT
English and German seem to be the most conservative - strange...
guest   Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:30 pm GMT
In Serbian they translate foreigh names as well and then, it's written like it's pronounced.

Charles de Gaulle: Šarl de Gol
Leonardo da Vinci: ...da Vinči
Jacques Chirac: Žak Širak etc.