Language and name changes

[Tim May]

On Thursday, April 3, 2003, at 11:43  AM, Kevin S. Van Horn wrote:

Harmon Seaver wrote:

Ever hear of King Ferdinand of Spain?  His real name was, of course, 
Fernando -- Ferdinand is merely the English equivalent.  Likewise, 
English and Spanish speakers use different names for the same 
explorer -- "Christopher Columbus" vs. "Cristobal Colon".
Yes, the americans and brits are infamous for their total ignorance 
and disregard for the sensetivities of others.

This phenomenon is not limited to the English-speaking world.  The 
Spanish use the name "Londres" for "London," for example.



Arguing with Harmon is pointless, of course. Having lived in Europe and 
having a bunch of atlases in French, German, Spanish, and other 
languages, it's obvious that name-changing of country names and city 
names is common to others besides the "insensitive" Americans and Brits.

--Tim May