You Say Qaddafi, I Say Gaddafi by The Globalist

A man of many names

Globalist Document > Global Politics You Say Qaddafi, I Say Gaddafi
By The Globalist \| Tuesday, February 14, 2006

The problem of transliteration from Arabic to languages using other alphabets is a source of much misunderstanding — with implications far beyond the realm of linguistics. Our search on the web, for example, revealed a total of 87 different — and official — spellings in English for Muammar Qaddafi Libya's Strongman (the preferred spelling).

he following list presents 87 different spellings for a single name — alluding to the difficulties posed not only for intercultural communication, but also for simply indentifying any Arabic name when spelled out in a different alphabet.

Maummar Gaddafi Moamar Al Kadafi Moamar al-Gaddafi

Moamar El Gaddafi Moamar el Gaddafi Moamar El Kadhafi

Moamar Gaddafi Moamar Gadhafi Moamer El Kazzafi

Moamer Gaddafi Moamer Kadhafi Moamma Gaddafi

Moammar el Gadhafi Moammar El Kadhafi Mo'ammar el-Gadhafi

Moammar Gaddafi Moammar Gadhafi Mo'ammar Gadhafi

Moammar Ghadafi Moammar Kadhafi Moammar Kazzafi

Moammar Khadaffy Moammar Khadafy Moammar Khaddafi

Moammar Qudhafi Moammer Gaddafi Momar Kadaffi

Mouammar Kadhafi Mouammer al Gaddafi Mu`amar al- Kad'afi

Mu`ammar al-Qadhdhafi Mu`ammar Qadhdhafi Mu'amar al-Kadafi

Muamar Al-Kaddafi Muamar Gaddafi Muamar Kaddafi

Muamer Gadafi Muammar al Gaddafi Muammar Al Ghaddafi

Muammar Al Qaddafi Muammar Al Qathafi Mu'ammar Al Qathafi

Muammar Al-Gathafi Muammar al-Khaddafi Mu'ammar al-Qadafi

Mu'ammar al-Qaddafi Muammar al-Qadhafi Mu'ammar al-Qadhdhafi

Muammar el Gaddafi Muammar el Gaddafy Muammar El Qaddafi

Muammar el Qaddafi Mu'Ammar El Qathafi Mu'Ammar el Qathafi

Muammar Gadaffi Muammar Gadafi Muammar Gadafy

Muammar Gaddafi Muammar Gaddhafi Muammar Gadhafi

Muammar Gathafi Muammar Ghadaffi Muammar Ghadafi

Muammar Ghaddafi Muammar Ghaddafy Muammar Gheddafi

Muammar Kaddafi Muammar Khaddafi Mu'ammar Qadafi

Muammar Qaddafi (preferred) Muammar Qadhafi Mu'ammar Qadhdhafi

Muammar Qadthafi Muammar Quathafi Muammer Gadaffi

Muammer Gaddafi Muhammar Gheddafi Mulazim Awwal Mu'ammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Qadhafi

Mummar Gaddafi Omar al Ghaddafi Omar Al Qathafi

Omar Mouammer Al Gaddafi Omar Muammar Al Ghaddafi Omar Muammar Al Qaddafi

Omar Muammar Al Qathafi Omar Muammar Gaddafi Omar Muammar Ghaddafi

The spellings have been reproduced from such sources as the name authority record at the U.S. Library of Congress, The New York Times and Associated Press Wire.

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