Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 March 27

= March 27 =

Macedonian / Greek spelling
Ancient_Macedonian_language says that Bereníke is a Macedonian spelling, while classical Greek is Phereníke. However, the coin of Berenice II of Egypt seemingly has the Bereníke spelling. This left me puzzled, assuming Berenice didn't speak Macedonian. Thanks. 212.180.235.46 (talk) 16:29, 27 March 2021 (UTC)
 * Berenice II was born around 267, which is only around 50 years after the death of her Greek Macedonian paternal grandfather Philip and a couple of years after that of her (rather younger) Greek Macedonian paternal grandmother Berenice I. It seems plausible that even if her father Magas and mother Apama II (also of Greek Macedonian descent) spoke Classical (or Koine) Greek in public, they might within their household have retained a good deal of Macedonian culture and customs, including language and/or name spellings. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 2.219.35.136 (talk) 22:06, 27 March 2021 (UTC)


 * 212.180.235.46 -- It's likely that this is due to an early Indo-European aspirated [bh] consonant developing differently in different languages, and not just a matter of "spelling". In any case, the dynastic name has come down through history as Berenice, most famously in the name of the constellation Coma Berenices, even if the theoretical pure Greek form would have been different... AnonMoos (talk) 23:42, 27 March 2021 (UTC)


 * Alain is the French equivalent of English Alan, but can nevertheless be found as a given name in English-speaking families in English-speaking countries (Alain Anderton, Alain Baxter, ...). That should not be puzzling. It is not only the coin that uses the name Βερενίκη; this is how the queen of Egypt was referred to in her own days by authors writing Koine Greek, as in this inscription (line 6). --Lambiam 13:02, 28 March 2021 (UTC)


 * Maybe she just wanted to get nearer the head of the line, alphabetically speaking? Clarityfiend (talk) 07:22, 29 March 2021 (UTC)
 * I think the Queen of Cyrenaica and Egypt gets to go to the head of most lines regardless of orthography! {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 2.219.35.136 (talk) 15:30, 31 March 2021 (UTC)