Al Di Meola
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Printed Date: February 19 2025 at 15:17
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Topic: Al Di Meola
Posted By: Atavachron
Subject: Al Di Meola
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 04:15
Curious about why Al Di Meola is listed as under M. I've always taken his name to start with D. If it's because the 'Di' and 'Meola' are separated, that's the correct spelling of his Italian surname, but it still starts with D, no? Thanks! 
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Replies:
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 04:42
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I gues his name is (written in offcial manner): Meola, Al Di. The "di" (in Italian) or "de" (in French) are not considered a part of the Last Name because they are only particles indicating that the actual family name (like in this case, Meola) represents the name of the clan / region / nobiliary house he's belonging to ( I think "von" in German or Dutch means the same thing but I'm not 100% sure). In English, his name would me Al of Meola. ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!" 
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Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 04:51
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O.K., but this is an English language site and all other outside listings I've seen has him under D. As well, someone looking for him alphabetically (and correctly) under D wouldn't find him here. Even in Wiki's Italian-American jazz musicians he's listed under D.
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Posted By: kazansky
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 05:09
wouldn't it looks weird then, his name will looks like of Meola, Al ? Even this is an English languange site i think we should respect the name as it is  ------------- The devil we blame our atrocities on is really just each one of us. |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 05:55
Yes I've noticed that too and I don't have an explanation - maybe there's a special thing with his name or maybe nobody cared about the rule. Anyway, the general rule in linguistics is to respect the forms of the original language; your argument doesn't hold because it's not a hot issue, in which case common sense would demand overriding some rules (like in the case of using slavonic or greek alphabets to write slavonic or greek names and titles). Following your argument, a literature dictionary would have under D these gentleman:
Honore de Balzac
Guy de Maupassant
Gabriele D'Annunzio
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra
Pierre de Ronsard
Alphonse de Lamartine
Michel de Montaigne
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand, etc...
 ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
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Atavachron wrote:Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 07:26
I'm not sure about him... ------------- |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 07:29
You're right about that. His surname is not Meola, but Di Meola - and in Italian all surnames starting with Di or De are listed under D in the phone book, street directory, and so on. French works differently - as a matter of fact, their 'de' (of) is always written with a lower-case initial in surnames, while it is no longer the case in Italian. I'll correct the entry immediately. Edit: Corrected! |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 07:53
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This is very interesting, GhostRider, I didn't know about it but you're the philologist here, I guess italian doesn't heave this rule as French and Spanish have it, or German (with it's "von"). ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
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Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 09:03
As a matter of fact, Italian doesn't - does Romanian, as our languages are related? You can notice the difference in spelling if you look at the list of surnames above. We have 'D'Annunzio', but 'de Maupassant'. Only snobs in Italy (and I used to know one) insist for their surnames to be spelt like 'de X'. |
Posted By: Atkingani
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 09:10
Very interesting... my surname is "de Barros", sometimes written "De Barros" and it's always under the letter B.  ------------- Guigo ~~~~~~ |
Posted By: Alucard
Date Posted: January 23 2007 at 09:21
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'von' in German, small letters and the name is not filed under 'V' I suppose it's the same in Dutch , Beethoven had a Flamish father, hence the van B. ------------- Tadpoles keep screaming in my ear "Hey there! Rotter's Club! Explain the meaning of this song and share it" |