Talk:Taranto

This town has an established English name: Tarent. These articles and texts should use it. 62.78.104.103 23:04, 28 May 2005 (UTC)

Where is "Tarent" used in English texts? I have always seen it as Taranto. Adam Bishop 03:25, 29 May 2005 (UTC)

62.78.104.103 is wrong. "Tarent" is the French name, that is widely used in heraldry, and he probably copied the names from such a book. The name of the city was Taras in Greek times, Tarentum in Roman times, and Taranto later. No English names.--Panairjdde 08:51, 30 May 2005 (UTC)

I think English then uses both names, since I have seen Tarent somewhere in English materials. The reason probably is that in Latin, it is Tarentum, and high English uses almost everything according to forms in Latin (Any scholar knowing something about theory of English language knows that Latin vocabulary is there within). I would assess that the name is Tarent in high English. But, of course, tourists, travellers, tourist guides and such use more frequently the contemporary native names. Thus, the Italian name form has apparently come deep into English usage, at least nowadays (if I am to trust the previous two commentators). However, it is very nice that at least one commentator confirms that Tarent is in use in heraldry materials. I think that medieval lordships are matters whose names are best kept in forms given by English heraldry materials, if it is not directly against the acceptable English language. To change it from heraldry usages to today's tourist usages would be sort of anachronism. 62.78.106.188 13:53, 2 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Taranto has been used in English at least in the last century. See, for example, the Battle of Taranto, as it was called in UK newspapers. As regards heraldry, you can use the form you prefer for unknown offsprings of unimportant nobles, but a prince should be called with the name he ruled with. If you are interested in Renaissance history of Southern Italy, you will find Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini on history books, not John of Tarent, as in your heraldry books.--Panairjdde 08:50, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

This is rather funny. Usually, if someone is a historical ruler, his/her name appears translated in English texts. Thus, if Giovanni was a real ruler, a real feudal lord, we expect his name be John of Taranto (or of Tarent) in history books written in English. Not "Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini" which form is clearly the practice used for unknown and unimportant and obscure noblemen who did not reign and who were not feudal princes, not recognized as rather independent rulers by other rulers. Of course, history books written in Italian are no evidence for this. Which history books on Renaissance of southern Italy mention him as "Giovanni Antonio del Balzo Orsini"??? Please list the names and authors of the said books. One of the reason of translated names in use for historical rulers is that they communicated directly with other monarchs than their own suzerain, and because of this, their names have often been preserved as parts of history of other than their own country. Thus, in contemporary, translations of name were used and usually spread, and therefore it is difficult to presently cut that variance to just the name form in original language. If the history books written in English really use that obscure Italian name for him, it is a signal for which we probably should reassess that person's role in history - if he really was just a local nobleman, without any sort of ruling status??? 62.78.104.96 06:54, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Battle of Taranto seems an event of our contemporaries. (There are plenty of people living now who lived during that battle.) If you had read the naming conventions of Wikipedia, you would probably understand that contemporary things are more often named in native language. Translations of names in history deals with time before our contemporary. You know, in 20th century, the media and the flow of information (due to technology, such as wires and movie recordings) became almost real-time. Before that, information transmitted by letters tended to use translated names. Perhaps it is wise to conclude that the naming of Battle of Taranto proves nothing more than the usage of king Juan Carlos I of Spain.... 62.78.104.96 07:01, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)