Disputatio:Benedictus Marcello

Marcello/Marcellus

This brings up an interesting question. Then trend on Vicipedia is not to Latinize last names. However, why do we say Perotinus for Pérotin and Lassus for Lasso, but not Marcellus for Marcello? What is the criterion here? (Mind you, I'm sort of playing advocatus diaboli here. However, it does bring up an interesting point.) Salve, LionhardusCiampa 16:35, 1 Februarii 2008 (UTC)

Our general rule (see Vicipaedia:Translatio nominum propriorum) is not to Latinize last names unless there is a source for the Latin form. For medieval people, such as Perotinus, there is almost bound to be a source (because Latin was the usual written language in western Europe at that time); for Renaissance people, such as Lassus, there is likely to be a source (because many people Latinized their own names, and most reference books were in Latin). For modern people, there is seldom a source. Andrew Dalby (disputatio) 18:09, 1 Februarii 2008 (UTC)