Orð og tunga - 01.06.2016, Page 128

118 Orð og tunga
of the Czech noun paradigms. In non-Slavic names, Czech habits de-
veloped under the infl uence of foreign grammars should be taken
into consideration: Old Greek and Latin names respect the stem and
the gender of their original grammars (Troja, gen. Troje; Pythagoras,
gen. Pythagory; Cicero, gen. Cicerona; Paris, gen. Parida). In the case
of names originating from other languages, the end vowel or conso-
nant that is heard in Czech pronunciation determines which Czech
paradigm should be followed and alternatives are sometimes al-
lowed (gen. Descarta or Descartesa). To the geographical names that
are in their original language in the plural, Czech singular endings
are usually added (gen. Nordhausenu, Toursu), even if in only a few
cases plural endings are used (Brémy ‘Bremen’). The Rules state that
foreign names very oft en remain without declension (Bordeaux, Wa-
terloo, Peru, Anjou, Canterbury, Dumas) – probably because there is no
evident paradigm in the Czech system which could be followed.
3.3.2  Rules of Czech Spelling 1941
The Rules from 1941 are more voluminous and, in the chapter on for-
eign words, they also add a passage on the transcription of personal
names and place names (Rules 1941:13–). Original spelling should
generally be retained (Apenniny, Kordillery, Achilles), although with
some exceptions: 1) double consonants are omitt ed (Brusel); 2) sym-
bols and groups of symbols that are unfamiliar in Czech should be
changed (Egypt, Ezop ‘Aesop’); and 3) pronounced length should
be marked (Homér, Athény, Kréta). The most frequent names have a
Czechisized form (Londýn, Řím, Paříž, Mojžíš).
For the transcription of common words of foreign origin, the same
rules are applied for frequently used words: 1) imunita; 2) sféra, katar;
3) estráda, majonéza, rubín; while the rarer ones retain their original
spelling: 1) immorální; 2) oenologie, dift hong; 3) adagio, angina. Some-
times two variants are allowed: passivní or pasivní, methoda or metoda.
In the passage covering the declension of foreign names, the same
principles as in Rules 1913 are repeated, but more variants are allowed
(Hugo – gen. Huga or Hugy). A general rule – mentioned at the end of
this section – says: “we decline everything, that is, by habit, already
declined or what is possible to decline” (Rules 1941:35); the rest re-
mains without declension.
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