How to spell the Libyan guy's name?

[Jennasis]

I'm getting mightily frustrated! Every news source seems to have it different. I've seen it spelled Khaddafy, Gaddafi, Qaddafi, and any myriad of combinations. And let's not even worry about how his first name is.

So can we, here on the DIS reach a consensus? How do you spell his name??

 

[tlbwriter]

That's been an issue for decades!

 

[LukenDC]

LOL---Just this morning I was thinking about the many ways that I have seen his name spelled. Just pick the spelling that works best for you.

 

[walden]

Well, good luck on reaching consensus. Apparently no-one in the media can agree!

http://www.straightdope.com/columns...osed-to-spell-muammar-gaddafi-khadafy-qadhafi

His official website apparently spells it "Moammar El-Gadhafi."

 

[moburg]

I've always spelled it L-U-N-A-T-I-C.

 

[Luv'sTink]

I've always spelled it L-U-N-A-T-I-C.

Bingo!

 

[Mermaid02]

I've always spelled it L-U-N-A-T-I-C.

Or the alternative

N-U-T-J-O-B


see, we STILL don't know how to spell it!

 

[lizabu]

My DH is middle eastern and when he came here the guy at immigration sounded out his arabic name into our english alphabet. A year later his brother came over and the same thing happened. The result = their last names are spelled differently. Basically they have their own alphabet and the only thing as english speakers we can do is sound it out using the letters of our alphabet. There are some letters in our language which sound the same like Q or K that's why we see his name spelled differently. Basically there isn't a correct spelling of his name in english. There is only our intrepretation of what his name would be in our language. This happens to people from other countries too. Like I know a couple German people with the same names who ended up with different spellings just based on our alphabet.

 

[tvguy]

My DH is middle eastern and when he came here the guy at immigration sounded out his arabic name into our english alphabet. A year later his brother came over and the same thing happened. The result = their last names are spelled differently. Basically they have their own alphabet and the only thing as english speakers we can do is sound it out using the letters of our alphabet. There are some letters in our language which sound the same like Q or K that's why we see his name spelled differently. Basically there isn't a correct spelling of his name in english. There is only our intrepretation of what his name would be in our language. This happens to people from other countries too. Like I know a couple German people with the same names who ended up with different spellings just based on our alphabet.

I work in news and in the mid-1980's the Associated Press put out three alerts in one week, each with a different spelling. They put one out, and an expert on the Middle East said "no, it should be....". So they revised it...and another "more qualified" Middle East expert said "no, it should be...".....
We went to a local University Middle East expert and he basically said the same thing you did......"you just can't spell it in English, it just doesn't translate."

 

[bdcp]

I'm getting mightily frustrated! Every news source seems to have it different. I've seen it spelled Khaddafy, Gaddafi, Qaddafi, and any myriad of combinations. And let's not even worry about how his first name is.

So can we, here on the DIS reach a consensus? How do you spell his name??

Why exactly does the DIS need a consensus?

 

[ChrisFL]

Why exactly does the DIS need a consensus?

and has the DIS ever reached a consensus on ANYTHING?

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

My husband spells it with an F. But he's a potty mouth.

 

[Jennasis]

Why exactly does the DIS need a consensus?

It's just rhetoric dude.

 

[bdcp]

It's just rhetoric dude.

Dude? My DH would have issue with that.

 

[Jennasis]

Dude? My DH would have issue with that.

Everyone is dude to me. DH, my sister, the dog etc..

 

[shortbun]

Christiane Amanpour spells it "Gadhafi", I'll go with that.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

How nice for your sister and your dog. I don't want to be called "dude". How old are you exactly? 12?

Aw I think she was just being funny.

 

[Temporaryname]

My DH is middle eastern and when he came here the guy at immigration sounded out his arabic name into our english alphabet. A year later his brother came over and the same thing happened. The result = their last names are spelled differently. Basically they have their own alphabet and the only thing as english speakers we can do is sound it out using the letters of our alphabet. There are some letters in our language which sound the same like Q or K that's why we see his name spelled differently. Basically there isn't a correct spelling of his name in english. There is only our intrepretation of what his name would be in our language. This happens to people from other countries too. Like I know a couple German people with the same names who ended up with different spellings just based on our alphabet.

I was nodding along until I got the German part. German is written in the same alphabet as English.

 

[Jennasis]

How nice for your sister and your dog. I don't want to be called "dude". How old are you exactly? 12?

Why are you being so combative?

 

[Jennasis]

Aw I think she was just being funny.

Apparently not.