Pedants' Paradise

[french frank]

Snap! I checked on that this a.m. It was new to me. (Originally Hruoland for the historical one?)

Just thinking about next week's Composer of the Week.

Quite the cosmopolitan, he's Orlandus Lassus in Latin, Orlando di Lasso if he's being Italian, but in French he's sometimes Orlande de Lassus and sometimes Roland.

Why? Just a harmless bit of metathesis?

[jean]

And that's not all; there's Roland de Lattre as well.

All I know about the relationship between ss and tt is that they're equivalents in different dialects of Ancient Greek - 'sea' is θάλαττα in Attic, θάλασσα in Ionic, Doric, Koine, (and Byzantine and Modern Greek).

A greater pedant than I will have to explain.

[french frank]

According to one source, Roland de Lattre was his original name, born in Mons, Hainault (Belgian Hainault, that is). It was a common Belgian name (< atrium, parvis of a church). As he spent much of his formative life in Italy, I suppose the name was Latinised/Italianised. Lassus meaning anything?

[jean]

I was told once (but I can't find any evidence for it) that in Italy he was Orlando from 'up there' (Italian la su.) Not very convincing.

[gurnemanz]

I was told once (but I can't find any evidence for it) that in Italy he was Orlando from 'up there' (Italian la su.) Not very convincing.

Confirmed in this German source. Seems more likely to be from French "de là sus" - "from up there" (Belgium or Heaven?). Italian Lasso from "la su" wouldn't work as well.

[JFLL]

According to one source, Roland de Lattre was his original name, born in Mons, Hainault (Belgian Hainault, that is). It was a common Belgian name (< atrium, parvis of a church). As he spent much of his formative life in Italy, I suppose the name was Latinised/Italianised. Lassus meaning anything?

He has a statue in Munich, recently disfigured by, of all things, placards of Michael Jackson

[IMG][/IMG]

[Serial_Apologist]

Thank you for the lovely picture, JFLL. Munich would appear to have the pigeon problem under control!

[Roehre]

According to one source, Roland de Lattre was his original name, born in Mons, Hainault (Belgian Hainault, that is). It was a common Belgian name (< atrium, parvis of a church). As he spent much of his formative life in Italy, I suppose the name was Latinised/Italianised. Lassus meaning anything?

Ah, Bergen in Henegouwen you mean then still one of the Netherlandish provinces (a county, to be precise)

[subcontrabass]

In Waitrose today I noticed that they are selling "Smoked Kippers". What is an unsmoked kipper?

[Don Petter]

In Waitrose today I noticed that they are selling "Smoked Kippers". What is an unsmoked kipper?

A vaped kipper?

[jean]

I understand the phrase sexed up. I am having difficulty with sexed down.

[Beef Oven!]

In Waitrose today I noticed that they are selling "Smoked Kippers". What is an unsmoked kipper?

If you unsmoked a kipper, it will turn into a herring.

[ardcarp]

I understand the phrase sexed up. I am having difficulty with sexed down.

It's more Niagara than Viagra......

[teamsaint]

It's more Niagara than Viagra......

nothing to do with cartoon rabbits, then?......

[jean]

It's to do with the Chilcott enquiry.

Sexing up was what Blair & co. did with the evidence of WMD in Iraq in their 'dodgy dossier'.

Sexing down is what Blair & co. are now trying to dio with the evidence Chilcott has got against them (cf Radio 4, passim).