Not only do the Yiddish spellings vary, but also the English transliterations, based on regional differences in pronunciation. The name is transliterated as Beila in the Butwin translations of Sholom Aleichem's stories. The name is supposed to be the Yiddish corruption of the Biblical Bilhah, Jacob's concubine. I was taught to spell it beit, yud, yud, lamed, eyin, although a final aleph does seem closer to the pronounced word.
But, as others have already stated, a name transliteration can only be common or uncommon, not correct or incorrect. Beila Organic Isaac Franck Jewish Public Library, Rockville, MD [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================================================== HaSafran - The Electronic Forum of the Association of Jewish Libraries Submissions for HaSafran, send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] SUBscribing, SIGNOFF commands send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Questions, problems, complaints, compliments;-) send to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org/
