Active Users:772 Time:21/06/2026 07:36:50 AM
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation. Legolas Send a noteboard - 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM
After my post above about the French translation, I figured I'd go and take a look at the various other translations of his name (courtesy of Wikipedia). Note to anyone intending to write a massively successful series translated into dozens of languages: beware the anagrams! (And also the abbreviations that are meant to be mysterious, but that's for a later book...)

Dutch: Marten Asmodom Vilijn (from "Mijn naam is Voldemort" )

Nice work with the last name, which while not an actual Dutch word (and hence not too obvious) reminds one of English and French "vil(l)ain". The middle name is somewhat unfortunate (although it has a vague Old Testament-demon feel to it, cf. WoT's Asmodean), but there's worse in other languages. I actually think this is the most original and creative solution in any language that I've seen.

French: Tom Elvis Jedusor (from "Je suis Voldemort" )

They kept the first name, following the pattern of utter inconsistency in their treatment of names (see my other post). I'm not sure what to make of the last name (phonetically it sounds like "J'ai du sort", but that would mean "I have fate" which is rather nonsensical, so maybe it's a coincidence), but it's the middle name that is gold. Elvis lives, indeed.

Spanish: unchanged in some editions (boo!), Tom Sorvolo Ryddle (from: "Soy Lord Voldemort" ) in others

They were lucky that they could keep the changes as minimal as they did, since "I am" is equally short in Spanish, and they had a Y to replace the I in the last name. Obviously the meaning of the last name is lost in translation, but then I don't think there's any language where they managed to keep it, not with the heavy constraint of the anagram. (Edit: yes, there is: Russian has his last name as "Rebus", apparently.)

German: Tom Vorlost Riddle (from "Ist Lord Voldemort" )

Cheaters. Total cheaters. They'd have had a fair bit more trouble with "Ich bin (Lord) Voldemort". And "ist" doesn't really make any sense.

Arabic: Seems to have refrained from the complete mess that trying to do an anagram in the Semitic alphabet would have become, and just transliterated the English names (as they usually do in cases like this).

Italian: Tom Orvoloson Riddle (from "Son' io Lord Voldemort" )

See Spanish - could limit their changes to the middle name, not much to comment on.

Finnish: Tom Lomen Valedro (from "Ma olen Voldemort" )

Can't really comment as I know too little Finnish, but another one where they had to improvise.

Latin: Tom Mosvux Riddle (supposedly from "Sum Dux Voldemort", but that doesn't actually fit, they'd have to make it "Ruddle" )

Not sure why they bothered changing the middle name if they weren't going to make the anagram fit anyway, but it's a fairly amusing middle name all the same.

Danish: Romeo G. Detlev Jr. (from: "Jeg er Voldemort" )

Takes the prize for best first name by a mile. Romeo? Seriously? Detlev reminds me of Detlef Job, guitarist of the awesome German band Novalis. Cleverly done with the Jr., though.

I'll stop there, but since I just found a longer list (in the Breton Wikipedia, of all places...), I'll link it below. Looks like I could keep going on, really.
Breton Wikipedia
This message last edited by Legolas on 26/07/2010 at 06:15:33 PM
Reply to message
The Great Harry Potter re-read: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 19/07/2010 09:32:22 AM 3165 Views
Chapters 1-3 - 19/07/2010 09:32:52 AM 2073 Views
Dobby - 19/07/2010 02:39:06 PM 1988 Views
Re: Dobby - 20/07/2010 06:42:21 AM 2152 Views
I hate Dobby. - 20/07/2010 11:32:58 AM 2086 Views
I'm not a huge Dobby fan either. *spoilers from end of book* - 20/07/2010 03:18:27 PM 1999 Views
Me too. - 20/07/2010 05:56:27 PM 1890 Views
Boo! - 21/07/2010 12:44:33 AM 2038 Views
I hate "movie Dobby." Book Dobby I'm neutral on. *NM* - 21/07/2010 03:42:29 AM 1240 Views
I don't like him either. - 21/07/2010 02:26:47 PM 2025 Views
It looks like all us cool kids hate Dobby - 23/07/2010 07:13:19 PM 2025 Views
Excellent. - 23/07/2010 10:17:16 PM 2083 Views
- 24/07/2010 12:35:44 AM 1976 Views
Stuff - 20/07/2010 05:54:26 PM 2066 Views
The Dursley's and the Twins - 21/07/2010 02:22:41 PM 1973 Views
The Dursleys. - 23/07/2010 11:35:31 PM 2061 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM 1911 Views
she reminds me a bit of snape - 26/07/2010 01:01:35 PM 2001 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 02:58:31 PM 1943 Views
Chapters 4-6 - 19/07/2010 09:33:18 AM 1986 Views
Another character we love to hate! Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy. - 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM 2079 Views
Yes! - 20/07/2010 09:41:09 PM 2100 Views
Re: Yes! - 21/07/2010 07:05:13 AM 2051 Views
I can't remember how much I hated him the first read - 21/07/2010 03:44:15 AM 2133 Views
I don't think I ever truly "hated" Lockheart - 26/07/2010 06:09:20 AM 1944 Views
My problems with Dobby are very different from my problems with Lockhart - 21/07/2010 07:02:55 AM 2025 Views
I can see that and I understand completely. - 21/07/2010 02:06:27 PM 2199 Views
Exactly. - 21/07/2010 07:20:33 PM 2079 Views
More stuff - 21/07/2010 07:00:04 AM 1996 Views
I really noticed this time around - 21/07/2010 03:10:43 PM 1889 Views
Yeah. - 23/07/2010 10:15:21 PM 1993 Views
This section really brought home to me how well Rowling writes about love and relationships. - 21/07/2010 07:22:43 PM 2036 Views
That last remark made me check out the names in the French translation... - 26/07/2010 05:18:36 PM 2074 Views
Don't get me started on the Norwegian translation. - 26/07/2010 09:52:09 PM 2019 Views
Ahahahahaha! - 26/07/2010 09:55:17 PM 1843 Views
That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 12:24:07 AM 2036 Views
Re: That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 09:07:35 AM 2050 Views
McSnurf? MCSNURF?? WTH? *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:47:55 PM 1176 Views
Nono. McSnurp. - 27/07/2010 08:48:58 PM 1986 Views
Read it wrong. - 27/07/2010 09:15:07 PM 1817 Views
Chapters 7-9 - 19/07/2010 09:33:44 AM 1963 Views
Deathday Party - seemed like filler to me. Not a big fan. - 21/07/2010 02:33:53 PM 2028 Views
Yeah, I didn't like that either. - 22/07/2010 06:56:39 PM 1928 Views
It is a plot device - 23/07/2010 10:11:45 PM 1939 Views
Heh. - 23/07/2010 10:16:48 PM 1895 Views
Colin Creevey. - 22/07/2010 06:55:17 PM 2015 Views
I don't know. He's always annoyed me. - 22/07/2010 09:23:36 PM 1991 Views
Re: Colin Creevey. - 23/07/2010 10:13:33 PM 2009 Views
Suspect I'm more patient with young people than you are. - 23/07/2010 10:18:24 PM 1993 Views
Infinitely more so, I think - 23/07/2010 10:21:09 PM 1969 Views
Even more stuff - 23/07/2010 10:10:39 PM 2045 Views
Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:13:51 PM 2064 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:15:18 PM 2003 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:17:41 PM 1928 Views
Chapters 10-12 - 19/07/2010 09:34:13 AM 1872 Views
Three good chapters - 22/07/2010 02:28:20 PM 1922 Views
Re: Three good chapters - 23/07/2010 10:34:40 PM 2039 Views
Yup. - 23/07/2010 11:32:03 PM 1982 Views
Re: Yup. - 26/07/2010 03:01:15 PM 1994 Views
And then some... - 23/07/2010 10:31:56 PM 1821 Views
Hermione - 23/07/2010 11:29:22 PM 1974 Views
Another example - 24/07/2010 12:56:26 AM 1883 Views
Re: Hermione - 24/07/2010 04:58:14 AM 1782 Views
Something I don't like: - 23/07/2010 11:24:59 PM 1844 Views
I disagree. - 24/07/2010 01:01:17 AM 1766 Views
Re: Something I don't like: - 26/07/2010 03:01:54 PM 1833 Views
Those students are 12 years old, though. - 26/07/2010 05:35:13 PM 1818 Views
Chapters 13-15 - 19/07/2010 09:34:50 AM 1778 Views
Heh. I'd forgotten how near the end of the book the spiders are. - 23/07/2010 11:26:43 PM 1814 Views
"Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 26/07/2010 01:58:25 PM 1795 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 08:50:34 PM 2123 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 09:08:24 PM 1872 Views
And... - 26/07/2010 02:54:54 PM 1938 Views
Chapters 16-18 - 19/07/2010 09:35:20 AM 1931 Views
Lockhart & Dobby get what's coming to them. - 26/07/2010 02:26:42 PM 1916 Views
Finally... - 26/07/2010 02:55:39 PM 1952 Views
He is one indeed, sort of anyway. *NM* - 26/07/2010 05:39:12 PM 1159 Views
Harry was a horcrux - 27/07/2010 02:57:42 AM 1797 Views
Yes - 27/07/2010 09:09:38 AM 1892 Views
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation. - 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM 4268 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM 1997 Views
Overall thoughts - 19/07/2010 09:36:06 AM 2021 Views
Character development - 19/07/2010 09:37:01 AM 1838 Views
Re: Character development - 20/07/2010 06:45:43 AM 1820 Views
Similar to the first, but a nice step up in complexity. - 19/07/2010 07:56:45 PM 2371 Views
I found an error i the POA preview in the back of my book - 20/07/2010 10:51:42 AM 1802 Views
Yeah i have that edition too *NM* - 21/07/2010 12:43:12 AM 1077 Views
Thoughts on the movie quality - 21/07/2010 04:15:20 AM 1724 Views
I wonder if Rowling ever looks back and wishes she could change some stuff - 21/07/2010 06:44:41 PM 1858 Views
I think this book isn't as deep or as thoughtful as the first. - 23/07/2010 11:36:17 PM 1868 Views
I feel the same way. - 24/07/2010 01:04:39 AM 1775 Views
Agreed. - 26/07/2010 03:22:48 PM 1828 Views
Suggestions for the re-read? - 19/07/2010 09:37:32 AM 1846 Views
Re: Suggestions for the re-read? - 23/07/2010 10:37:37 PM 1905 Views
OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:00 PM 1936 Views
Re: OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:56 PM 1948 Views
Do we want a wee break before the next book? - 24/07/2010 10:47:07 AM 1800 Views
I'm indifferent 'cause I can't find my copy of POA *NM* - 26/07/2010 01:27:05 AM 1155 Views
Nonononono! - 26/07/2010 03:12:56 PM 1821 Views
Nooooooooo! - 27/07/2010 02:32:56 PM 1950 Views
we need an impatient smiley that taps its foot while looking grumpy. *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:51:30 PM 1084 Views
More than anything! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:01:33 PM 1103 Views
It's not Wednesday yet! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM 993 Views
But it was a question: - 27/07/2010 10:25:27 PM 1781 Views
Yes, but the two possibilities in Rebekah's post were either Wednesday or next Monday. - 27/07/2010 10:33:10 PM 2134 Views
Aaaah - 27/07/2010 10:34:51 PM 1866 Views

Reply to Message