Active Users:1008 Time:02/11/2026 12:30:07 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 3246 Views
Chapters 1-3 - 19/07/2010 09:32:52 AM 2163 Views
Dobby - 19/07/2010 02:39:06 PM 2072 Views
Re: Dobby - 20/07/2010 06:42:21 AM 2233 Views
I hate Dobby. - 20/07/2010 11:32:58 AM 2166 Views
I'm not a huge Dobby fan either. *spoilers from end of book* - 20/07/2010 03:18:27 PM 2073 Views
Me too. - 20/07/2010 05:56:27 PM 1964 Views
Boo! - 21/07/2010 12:44:33 AM 2111 Views
I hate "movie Dobby." Book Dobby I'm neutral on. *NM* - 21/07/2010 03:42:29 AM 1293 Views
I don't like him either. - 21/07/2010 02:26:47 PM 2110 Views
It looks like all us cool kids hate Dobby - 23/07/2010 07:13:19 PM 2095 Views
Excellent. - 23/07/2010 10:17:16 PM 2169 Views
- 24/07/2010 12:35:44 AM 2053 Views
Stuff - 20/07/2010 05:54:26 PM 2152 Views
The Dursley's and the Twins - 21/07/2010 02:22:41 PM 2039 Views
The Dursleys. - 23/07/2010 11:35:31 PM 2137 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 06:02:14 AM 1985 Views
she reminds me a bit of snape - 26/07/2010 01:01:35 PM 2084 Views
Re: The Dursleys. - 26/07/2010 02:58:31 PM 2067 Views
Chapters 4-6 - 19/07/2010 09:33:18 AM 2072 Views
Another character we love to hate! Gilderoy Lockhart. Plus Weasley vs Malfoy. - 20/07/2010 03:29:39 PM 2167 Views
Yes! - 20/07/2010 09:41:09 PM 2182 Views
Re: Yes! - 21/07/2010 07:05:13 AM 2124 Views
I can't remember how much I hated him the first read - 21/07/2010 03:44:15 AM 2212 Views
I don't think I ever truly "hated" Lockheart - 26/07/2010 06:09:20 AM 2024 Views
My problems with Dobby are very different from my problems with Lockhart - 21/07/2010 07:02:55 AM 2102 Views
I can see that and I understand completely. - 21/07/2010 02:06:27 PM 2268 Views
Exactly. - 21/07/2010 07:20:33 PM 2159 Views
More stuff - 21/07/2010 07:00:04 AM 2083 Views
I really noticed this time around - 21/07/2010 03:10:43 PM 1964 Views
Yeah. - 23/07/2010 10:15:21 PM 2070 Views
This section really brought home to me how well Rowling writes about love and relationships. - 21/07/2010 07:22:43 PM 2113 Views
That last remark made me check out the names in the French translation... - 26/07/2010 05:18:36 PM 2151 Views
Don't get me started on the Norwegian translation. - 26/07/2010 09:52:09 PM 2096 Views
Ahahahahaha! - 26/07/2010 09:55:17 PM 1915 Views
That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 12:24:07 AM 2118 Views
Re: That is indeed genuinely awesome. - 27/07/2010 09:07:35 AM 2182 Views
McSnurf? MCSNURF?? WTH? *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:47:55 PM 1225 Views
Nono. McSnurp. - 27/07/2010 08:48:58 PM 2076 Views
Read it wrong. - 27/07/2010 09:15:07 PM 1899 Views
Chapters 7-9 - 19/07/2010 09:33:44 AM 2046 Views
Deathday Party - seemed like filler to me. Not a big fan. - 21/07/2010 02:33:53 PM 2122 Views
Yeah, I didn't like that either. - 22/07/2010 06:56:39 PM 2014 Views
It is a plot device - 23/07/2010 10:11:45 PM 2017 Views
Heh. - 23/07/2010 10:16:48 PM 1985 Views
Colin Creevey. - 22/07/2010 06:55:17 PM 2091 Views
I don't know. He's always annoyed me. - 22/07/2010 09:23:36 PM 2068 Views
Re: Colin Creevey. - 23/07/2010 10:13:33 PM 2102 Views
Suspect I'm more patient with young people than you are. - 23/07/2010 10:18:24 PM 2101 Views
Infinitely more so, I think - 23/07/2010 10:21:09 PM 2054 Views
Even more stuff - 23/07/2010 10:10:39 PM 2126 Views
Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:13:51 PM 2155 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:15:18 PM 2095 Views
Re: Mrs Norris. - 23/07/2010 10:17:41 PM 2015 Views
Chapters 10-12 - 19/07/2010 09:34:13 AM 1945 Views
Three good chapters - 22/07/2010 02:28:20 PM 2019 Views
Re: Three good chapters - 23/07/2010 10:34:40 PM 2127 Views
Yup. - 23/07/2010 11:32:03 PM 2081 Views
Re: Yup. - 26/07/2010 03:01:15 PM 2085 Views
And then some... - 23/07/2010 10:31:56 PM 1914 Views
Hermione - 23/07/2010 11:29:22 PM 2047 Views
Another example - 24/07/2010 12:56:26 AM 1955 Views
Re: Hermione - 24/07/2010 04:58:14 AM 1874 Views
Something I don't like: - 23/07/2010 11:24:59 PM 1927 Views
I disagree. - 24/07/2010 01:01:17 AM 1861 Views
Re: Something I don't like: - 26/07/2010 03:01:54 PM 1922 Views
Those students are 12 years old, though. - 26/07/2010 05:35:13 PM 1915 Views
Chapters 13-15 - 19/07/2010 09:34:50 AM 1864 Views
Heh. I'd forgotten how near the end of the book the spiders are. - 23/07/2010 11:26:43 PM 1892 Views
"Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 26/07/2010 01:58:25 PM 1868 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 08:50:34 PM 2197 Views
Re: "Goodbye friends of Hagrid..." - 27/07/2010 09:08:24 PM 1959 Views
And... - 26/07/2010 02:54:54 PM 2030 Views
Chapters 16-18 - 19/07/2010 09:35:20 AM 2007 Views
Lockhart & Dobby get what's coming to them. - 26/07/2010 02:26:42 PM 1991 Views
Finally... - 26/07/2010 02:55:39 PM 2043 Views
He is one indeed, sort of anyway. *NM* - 26/07/2010 05:39:12 PM 1207 Views
Harry was a horcrux - 27/07/2010 02:57:42 AM 1886 Views
Yes - 27/07/2010 09:09:38 AM 1981 Views
Voldemort's (sometimes) hilarious names in translation. - 26/07/2010 06:14:58 PM 4372 Views
- 26/07/2010 06:45:55 PM 2066 Views
Overall thoughts - 19/07/2010 09:36:06 AM 2098 Views
Character development - 19/07/2010 09:37:01 AM 1918 Views
Re: Character development - 20/07/2010 06:45:43 AM 1895 Views
Similar to the first, but a nice step up in complexity. - 19/07/2010 07:56:45 PM 2491 Views
I found an error i the POA preview in the back of my book - 20/07/2010 10:51:42 AM 1892 Views
Yeah i have that edition too *NM* - 21/07/2010 12:43:12 AM 1123 Views
Thoughts on the movie quality - 21/07/2010 04:15:20 AM 1801 Views
I wonder if Rowling ever looks back and wishes she could change some stuff - 21/07/2010 06:44:41 PM 1938 Views
I think this book isn't as deep or as thoughtful as the first. - 23/07/2010 11:36:17 PM 1943 Views
I feel the same way. - 24/07/2010 01:04:39 AM 1852 Views
Agreed. - 26/07/2010 03:22:48 PM 1896 Views
Suggestions for the re-read? - 19/07/2010 09:37:32 AM 1924 Views
Re: Suggestions for the re-read? - 23/07/2010 10:37:37 PM 1988 Views
OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:00 PM 2008 Views
Re: OK. - 23/07/2010 10:43:56 PM 2028 Views
Do we want a wee break before the next book? - 24/07/2010 10:47:07 AM 1873 Views
I'm indifferent 'cause I can't find my copy of POA *NM* - 26/07/2010 01:27:05 AM 1206 Views
Nonononono! - 26/07/2010 03:12:56 PM 1900 Views
Nooooooooo! - 27/07/2010 02:32:56 PM 2032 Views
we need an impatient smiley that taps its foot while looking grumpy. *NM* - 27/07/2010 08:51:30 PM 1124 Views
More than anything! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:01:33 PM 1145 Views
It's not Wednesday yet! *NM* - 27/07/2010 09:26:21 PM 1041 Views
But it was a question: - 27/07/2010 10:25:27 PM 1864 Views
Yes, but the two possibilities in Rebekah's post were either Wednesday or next Monday. - 27/07/2010 10:33:10 PM 2220 Views
Aaaah - 27/07/2010 10:34:51 PM 1947 Views

Reply to Message