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[NABOKOV-L] Strong Opinions: Uncle "Basile," Borges, Beckett
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JM: In "Strong Opinions" (paperback, 171) Nabokov observes: " I am at a loss to understand why the names of most of the people with whom I am paired begin with a B." In another interview he'd heard:"You are often superficially linked to a handful of international writers like Beckett and Borges." (SO, 155).
It occurred to me that his uncle Vasili is summoned by VN's father in French ("Basile, on vous attend") and in this instance the letter "V" turns into a "B."
I know that the "H"- in Humbert - becomes a "G" in Russian.
Is there any habitual translation of the name Vladimir which would turn the "V" into a "B," as it is the case of Vasili/Basile? *
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* wiki: "The name Basil (royal, kingly), pronounced /ˈbæzəl/, has origins from the male Greek name Vassilios (Greek: Βασίλειος, female version Bασιλική) which first appeared during the Hellenistic period. It is derived from "basileus" (Greek: βασιλεύς) a Greek word of pre-Hellenic origin meaning "king", from which words such as basilica and basilisk (via Latin), as well as the eponymous herb (via Old French) derive, and the name of the Italian region Basilicata, which had been long under the rule of the Byzantine Emperor (also called basileus)....Basil has many variant forms: Basel, Basile, Basilic, Basilides, Basileios, Basileo, Basilie, Basilio, Basilius, Bazeel, Bazeelius, Bazil, Bazyli, Breasal, Pasi[1], Vasil, Vasile, Vaseleos, Vasileos, Vasilije, Vasilios, Vasilios, Vasilius, Vasilus, Vassilis, Vasili, Vassili, Vasily, Vassilij, Vassily and Wassily."
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It occurred to me that his uncle Vasili is summoned by VN's father in French ("Basile, on vous attend") and in this instance the letter "V" turns into a "B."
I know that the "H"- in Humbert - becomes a "G" in Russian.
Is there any habitual translation of the name Vladimir which would turn the "V" into a "B," as it is the case of Vasili/Basile? *
........................................................
* wiki: "The name Basil (royal, kingly), pronounced /ˈbæzəl/, has origins from the male Greek name Vassilios (Greek: Βασίλειος, female version Bασιλική) which first appeared during the Hellenistic period. It is derived from "basileus" (Greek: βασιλεύς) a Greek word of pre-Hellenic origin meaning "king", from which words such as basilica and basilisk (via Latin), as well as the eponymous herb (via Old French) derive, and the name of the Italian region Basilicata, which had been long under the rule of the Byzantine Emperor (also called basileus)....Basil has many variant forms: Basel, Basile, Basilic, Basilides, Basileios, Basileo, Basilie, Basilio, Basilius, Bazeel, Bazeelius, Bazil, Bazyli, Breasal, Pasi[1], Vasil, Vasile, Vaseleos, Vasileos, Vasilije, Vasilios, Vasilios, Vasilius, Vasilus, Vassilis, Vasili, Vassili, Vasily, Vassilij, Vassily and Wassily."
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/