[Preusse]

Just wondering about why IT changed Gaddafi's name to Gadafy this morning:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking3.html

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...6.html?via=rel


It's on the front page of the printed version, too. Tututut

[HooterSnout]

To Gadafy, or not to Gaddafi, that is the question.
Unless the Irish Times start printing in Arabic I would say translations can vary.

From wikipedia,

Because of the lack of standardization of transliterating written- and regionally-pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been transliterated in many different ways into English and other Latin alphabet languages. Even though the Arabic spelling of a word does not change, the pronunciation may vary in different varieties of Arabic, which may cause a different romanization. In literary Arabic the name معمر القذافي can be pronounced /muˈʕamːaru lqaðˈðaːfi/. [ʕ] represents a voiced pharyngeal fricative (ع). Geminated consonants can be simplified. In Libyan Arabic, /q/ (ق) may be replaced with [ɡ] or [k] (or even [χ]; and /ð/ (ذ) (as "th" in "this") may be replaced with [d] or [t]. Vowel [u] often alternates with [o] in pronunciation. Thus, /muˈʕamːar alqaðˈðaːfiː/ is normally pronounced in Libyan Arabic [muˈʕæmːɑrˤ əlɡædˈdæːfi]. The definite article al- (ال) is often omitted.
An article published in the London Evening Standard in 2004 lists a total of 37 spellings of his name, while a 1986 column by The Straight Dope quotes a list of 32 spellings known at the Library of Congress.[99] This extensive confusion of naming was used as the subject for a segment of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update in the early 1980s.[citation needed]
"Muammar Gaddafi" is the spelling used by TIME magazine, BBC News, the majority of the British press and by the English service of Al-Jazeera.[100] The Associated Press, CNN, and Fox News use "Moammar Gadhafi". The Edinburgh Middle East Report uses "Mu'ammar Qaddafi" and the U.S. Department of State uses "Mu'ammar Al-Qadhafi". The Xinhua News Agency uses "Muammar Khaddafi" in its English reports.[101]
In 1986, Gaddafi reportedly responded to a Minnesota school's letter in English using the spelling "Moammar El-Gadhafi".[102] The title of the homepage of algathafi.org reads "Welcome to the official site of Muammar Al Gathafi".[103]

[Preusse]

Thanks HooterSnout!

So the IT have just created another version previously not seen.

[HooterSnout]

Looks like it. Ah bless their little hearts.

[Bottle_of_Smoke]

Yeah you can basically spell it whatever way you like cause its a translation. I would use Khadafi or Qadhafi myself.

Our pronunciation of other languages is often awful. Like take the Dutch politician "Geert" Wilders

In the English speaking world everyone says the G like we would in Gavin or Garda but in Netherlands its pronounced with a gutteral Kh sound so it ends up more like "Kheeart" Wilders. Though because we use the same letters it would always be spelled Geert

[pow wow]

A lot of the Libyan protesters in Dublin have it spelled with a 'Q'.

[starbelgrade]

Gadafy Duck.

[Preusse]

Originally Posted by starbelgrade

Gadafy Duck.

Gadaffy even.

[biko]

And Muammar Kaddafi works too
http://www.africandiplomacy.com/inde...mid=86&lang=en
http://www.newsweek.com/2009/09/16/m...statesman.html

[dilallio]

Gadafuckoutoflibya

[orourkeda]

Grammar Nazis are probably having multiple orgasms at the prospect of having a letter about poor spelling, grammar and syntax printed.

[IzzyWizzy]

Originally Posted by Bottle_of_Smoke

Yeah you can basically spell it whatever way you like cause its a translation. I would use Khadafi or Qadhafi myself.

It's a transliteration, actually (or perhaps a transcription). A translation would be taking the meaning of the name and translating that into the target language. /pedant

Our pronunciation of other languages is often awful. Like take the Dutch politician "Geert" Wilders

In the English speaking world everyone says the G like we would in Gavin or Garda but in Netherlands its pronounced with a gutteral Kh sound so it ends up more like "Kheeart" Wilders. Though because we use the same letters it would always be spelled Geert

It's hardly just English speakers. Why would someone who speaks no Dutch know that their G is soft and their 'ee' is more like 'ay'? My name is hardly ever pronounced correctly in any other country. Most people pronounce things the way they pronounce their own language, even Dutch speakers who are exposed to English on a daily basis.

[Mahatma coat]

yeah but aint that the point of Transliteration, to get the sound of the word acros.

I'd spell it with a Q meself cos that'd be the closest to how I would pronounce it with my accent

[Badgermonkey]

You say Muhammad & I say Mohammed

[AnonoBoy]

Originally Posted by Badgermonkey

You say Muhammad & I say Mohammed

Let's call the revolution off!