[ilds] Corcyra v. Corfu

[Richard Pine]

I did not suggest that referring to kerkyra as Corfu was insulting. The
Corfiots do it all the time.
But the 'linguistic' or 'phonetic' differences betray cultural differences
which can sometimes be annoying.
Moskva becomes Mos-coe becomes (for Americans) Mos-cow (an udder sound) -
is it really so diffficult?
We have all had to re-educate ourselves to say 'Beijing' instead of
'Peking', 'kolkotta' for 'Calcutta' and Mumbai for Bombay. This is
de-colonialism and I suppose most people would welcome it.
Ethiopia
RP

On Tue, Sep 13, 2016 at 8:36 PM, Bruce Redwine <bredwine1968 at earthlink.net>
wrote:

> There are linguistic reasons for differences in the spelling and
> pronunciation of place names between languages, the main one being phonetic
> or phonological differences.  So German *Wien* becomes English *Vienna*
> simply because the English spelling conforms to the German pronunciation
> (where the /a/ comes from is another matter).  By and large, I do not
> interpret the differences as examples of colonialism, imperialism,
> ethnocentrism, or even xenophobia (a good Greek word which the Greeks
> invented and used).  As to *Kerkyra* v. *Corfu*, the former is Greek and
> the latter apparently Byzantine Greek (as Durrell points out in his
> etymology below).  How we English-speakers (and presumably others) have
> adopted *Corfu* instead of *Kerkyra* is a historical problem—and not, I
> think, a deliberate insult to the Corfiots.  The English and French
> languages have been pretty good at respecting indigenous terms—for example,
> Canada, Quebec, Michigan, Nebraska, and so on.
>
> Bruce
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sep 13, 2016, at 1:11 AM, Richard Pine <pinedurrellcorfu at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> I don't think we should be surprised that Greeks refer to 'Corfu' as
> 'Kerkyra' - it's the name of the place! And Corfiots (not Corfiotes,
> please, that's a C17 term that's out of use) actually live in Kerkyra. it's
> damned annoying for the rest of us that the Austrians insist on living in
> Wien, when we all know they live in Vienna, and even worse that the Swiss
> want to be in Genf. Don't we all wish that locals would learn that it is WE
> who decide on their placenames? Where would everyone be if locals were
> allowed to choose their own identity!
> RP
>
> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 8:24 PM, Bruce Redwine <bredwine1968 at earthlink.net
> > wrote:
>
>> Thanks, Richard.  Modern Greek *Kerkyra* preserves ancient Greek *Κερκῡρα
>> *(Liddell and Scott).  So it may be that Durrell chose to honor this
>> usage and this past, which seem to be lost on contemporary readers.  I
>> mentioned before Open Road’s alteration of Durrell’s subtitle—“Corcyra”
>> becomes “Corfu.”  Something similar happens in Ian MacNiven’s edition of *Prospero’s
>> Cell* (New York:  Marlowe, 1996).  MacNiven does not change Durrell’s
>> subtitle, but the publisher alters the title on the book’s cover:  *Prospero’s
>> Cell:  A Guide to the Landscape and Manners of the Island of Corfu.  *Durrell’s
>> use of *Corcyra* is akin to Robert Byron’s use of *Oxiana* in *The Road
>> to Oxiana* (1937), which Durrell probably read, I’m guessing.  *Oxiana*
>> refers to the country around the Oxus River in Central Asia, now called the
>> Amu.  *Oxus* is exotic, obscure even, unless one recalls Arnold “Sohrab
>> and Rustum.”  Byron’s famous book develops through a series of dated diary
>> entries (Venice is the first—echoes of *Bitter Lemons?).*  Durrell may
>> have followed this pattern and then varied it.
>>
>> Bruce
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sep 11, 2016, at 11:24 PM, james Esposito <giacomoesposito72 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> The obvious question so far unanswered:  how do Greeks on Corfu refer to
>> their island?
>> The answer: Kerkyra
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 1:34 AM, Bruce Redwine <bredwine1968 at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> James, I previously addressed this email wrong.  Please post of list.
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Bruce
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>
>>> *From: *Bruce Redwine <bredwine1968 at gmail.com>
>>> *Subject: **Corcyra v. Corfu*
>>> *Date: *September 11, 2016 at 2:22:15 PM PDT
>>> *To: *Sumantra Nag <sumantranag at gmail.com>
>>> *Cc: *Bruce Redwine <bredwine1968 at earthlink.net>
>>>
>>> Re *Prospero’s Cell,* it might be worthwhile to look carefully at
>>> Durrell’s use of *Corcyra* as opposed to *Corfu.*  First a little
>>> pedantry.
>>>
>>> 1.  The *OED* 2nd does not have a separate entry for either *Corcyra*
>>> or *Corfu.*  The former is not mentioned; the latter—defined as “the
>>> Greek island of Corfu”—is noted under “Corfiote.”
>>>
>>> 2.  Wikipedia has the following:  *Corfu* (/kɔːrˈfuː, -fjuː/
>>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English>; Greek
>>> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language>: Κέρκυρα, *Kérkyra*
>>> [ˈcercira] <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_Greek>;
>>> Ancient Greek <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek>: Κέρκυρα or
>>> Κόρκυρα; Latin <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_language>: *Corcyra*
>>> ; Italian <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_language>: *Corfu*).  This
>>> etymology, which I assume is correct, suggests that *Corcyra* is a
>>> transliteration of the older term in ancient Greek, whereas *Corfu*
>>> derives from modern Italian or some dialect of the same.  (How *cyra* becomes
>>> *fu* is an interesting problem in historical linguistics.)
>>>
>>> 3.  Durrell himself provides the following etymologies of *Corfu *and
>>> *Corcyra:*  “2.10.37.  The literati of ‘the Partridge’ have spent a
>>> great deal of time upon the etymological derivation of the
>>> word ‘Corfu.’  The current explanation that the Byzantine use of the word
>>> was related in some way to *kòpuɸαι* (meaning twin-peaked) is not
>>> entirely acceptable to Zarian though Theodore’s more exacting scholarship
>>> appears to accept the idea.  Any modern Greek dictionary will list
>>> *kópɸos* which means ‘gulf’; while research into the word Corcyra will
>>> give you the following *kέpkos*: (a tail, a handle);  *kὲpkoupos* (a
>>> fish); and  *kepis* (a weaver’s comb, a leg bone, a fiddle bow).”  (p.
>>> 70; Greek orthography approximate)
>>>
>>>
>>> How does Durrell use these two terms?  The first usage of *Corcyra* appears
>>> in his subtitle:  “the island of Corcyra.”  The first usage of *Corfu* appears
>>> in the first sentence of his text:  “Somewhere between Calabria and Corfu
>>> the blue really begins.”  (Note:  he does not say, “Somewhere between
>>> Calabria and Corcyra.”)  He uses *Corfu* more often than *Corcyra*,
>>> according to my digital version of *PC.  *This suggests to me that
>>> *Corfu* is the unmarked or normal term in Durrell’s vocabulary.  The
>>> terms may be interchangeable, although I doubt this.  I’m tempted to say
>>> that Durrell uses *Corcyra* for some special effect, but that would
>>> require a more detailed reading than I’m willing to give at the moment.
>>>
>>> I use the Open Road digital version of Durrell’s works.  I do not trust
>>> this publisher.  Open Road has made changes to Durrell’s text, presumably
>>> to make it appeal to the contemporary reader.  A major change occurs in the
>>> subtitle:  “the island of Corfu,” not “Corcyra.”  I think this important—it
>>> violates Durrell’s intent.
>>>
>>> Richard Pine asks the question, “Can you explain why you
>>> think ‘Corcyra’ is less common than 'Corfu' or 'Kerkyra'?  Why is it
>>> signal?”  Although I do not know Greek, I think the answer lies in the
>>> context and the frequency of Durrell’s usage.  The obvious question so far
>>> unanswered:  how do Greeks on Corfu refer to their island?  To repeat, the
>>> Wikipedia etymology suggests to me that *Corcyra* is the archaic term
>>> and as such evokes a special effect immediately announced in the subtitle
>>> of *Prospero’s Cell,* which is exactly why Open Road chose
>>> (egregiously) to change it.  That is, the modern reader might be put off by
>>> exotic allusions.  My explanation is that Durrell is using *Corcyra* to
>>> hearken back to a particular kind of travel literature.
>>>
>>> Bruce
>>>
>>>
>>
>> _
>
>
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