ENG 208—Baker
Odyssey
Name Spelling Conversion
Chart
NOTE: A transliteration
transforms names of places and people from one alphabet to another. While not necessary for languages closely
related to one another such as English and French or Spanish, the process is
required when referring to languages like Greek, Arabic, or Cyrllic
that have different alphabets than English.
There are, however, few standards other than mere custom for so doing,
except for the fact that vowel sounds generally follow the European
pronunciation rather than English (think ah – ay – ee
– oh – oo).
The translator of the Odyssey has used what he considers to be phonetic
spellings. The names, however, have
traditional European spellings frequently found in encyclopedias and search
engines that are slightly different from those used by Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald Transliterations Traditional
Transliterations
(used in the Norton) (used by Professor Baker)
Agamémnon Agamemnon
Aias / Aîas
Aigísthos / Aegísthos Aegisthus
Aiolos Aeolus
Akhaian Achaean
Akhilleus Achilles
Alkínoös Alcinous
Antikleía Anticlea
Antínoös Antinous
Aphroditê Aphrodite
Arês Ares
Arêtê Arete
Athena Athena
or Athene
Elpênor Elpenor
Eumaios Eumaeus
Eurýkleia Euryclea
Hêlios / Hélios Hyperion
Hephaistos Hephaestus
Heraklês Heracles
/ Hercules
Hermês Hermes
Ikários Icarius
Ithaka
Kalypso Calypso
Kassandra Cassandra
Kharybdis Charybdis
Kirkê Circe
Klytaimnéstra Clytemnestra
Kyklopês Cyclopes
(NOTE: Kyklops
or Cyclops without the “ê” is singular and refers only to
the giant Polyphêmos / Polyphemus)
Laërtês Laertes
Laistrygonian Laestrygonian
Melántho Melantho
Meneláos Menelaus
Nausikaa Nausicaa
Nausíthoös Nausithous
Nohbdy Nobody
Odysseus Odysseus
Ogýgia Ogygia
Olympos
Orestês Orestes
Patróklos Patroclus
Penélopê Penelope
Perséphonê Persephone
/ Proserpina
Phaiákians Phaeacians
Polyphêmos Polyphemus
Poseidon Poseidon
Seirênês Sirens
Sísyphos Sisyphus
Skhería Scheria
Skylla Scylla
Tántalos Tantalus
Teirêsias Teiresias
Telémakhos Telemachus
Zeus Zeus