Mary: first, I would not mention those two V.V.’s in the same message lightly on this esteemed Forum; and second, yes, News Reporters are mistaken, but less than usual --- there is an old tradition to mispronounce Russian names in the West (including Eyevan “l’enfant terrible”), and vice versa: we say “Vashingt’on”, “Link’oln”, and even “Flor’ida”

Jansy: Vladimir is indeed translatable and means “World Ruler”.

Victor Fet

From: Vladimir Nabokov Forum [mailto:NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU] On Behalf Of Mary Krimmel
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 11:20 AM
To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU
Subject: Re: [NABOKV-L] Vladimir as a name

Does anyone know why VN's name "Vladimir" is accented on the second syllable and, according to TV newscasters I have heard, Putin's name "Vladimir" is accented on the first syllable? Are the news reporters mistaken?

Mary Krimmel

----- Original Message -----

From: Jansy

To: NABOKV-L@LISTSERV.UCSB.EDU

Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:16 AM

. . .I also began to wonder how the name Vladimir could be translated into other languages, such as we find in "Raymond"or "Sigmund".Some translations are very peculiar ( William, Guillaume; Jacques,Jacob, Tiago)

Jansy

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