[DCRM-L] Latinization of proper names

[Gemberling, Ted P]

Karen,
Here is something you might look for when you are doing a really old book, especially when it is a collection of pieces by ancient or (especially) medieval "authorities." Sometimes I think it is impossible to determine exactly who these writers were. But occasionally some early modern person is given as the editor of the collection or parts of the collection. For example, there was a 16th century German medical writer named Hans Kaspar Wolf. In a book I cataloged, he collected and edited a section of it called the Harmonia gynaeciorum, which was a collection of relatively short works on female diseases. Some of the authors were really obscure. For example, there was one named "Cleopatra." I couldn't find any information about who this was. A funny thing is some catalogers interpreted her as the famous Queen Cleopatra, but I would think that is highly unlikely. Cleopatra was a fairly common name. I put on the record the added entry Cleopatra (Gynecologist). I did not attempt to establish that in the Name Authority File, because I had no real information about her, but I did establish a name-title authority record for Wolf's Harmonia gynaeciorum. That at least puts the writers together in a group that might be more easily studied.

I hope that helps a little.

Ted Gemberling
UAB Libraries

From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> On Behalf Of Karen Nelson
Sent: Friday, September 6, 2019 11:06 AM
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Subject: [DCRM-L] Latinization of proper names

Hello, again, everyone;

We are just getting familiar with the resources on RBMS and elsewhere.

We see a handy conversion table for Latin place names (Marpurgi = Marburg (Germany) etc.) - but cannot find a similar resource to help us decipher proper names.

Specifically, for us right now, German ones... here's a sample: Johannem Wesselium. (Johan? Johannes? Wessel? Wessels?) and so on.

Hints or directions appreciated!

Karen
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