Part 4 (1/2)

First let us consider some of the questions which arise respecting the person who writes the book. If we suppose his names to be John Smith, we have the matter in its simplest form for a small catalogue, and we write at the head of a slip of paper--SMITH (JOHN).

But in the case of a large library, the very simplicity causes a difficulty. There are so many different John Smiths, that it becomes necessary to find out some means of distinguis.h.i.+ng them. At the British Museum explanatory designations, such as _Schoolmaster_, _Bibliographer_, etc., are added; but this point belongs more properly to arrangement, which will be discussed in the sixth chapter of this book.

All authors' names, however, are not so simple as those of John Smith, and one of the greatest difficulties is connected with compound names.

A few years ago the rule respecting these compound names might have been stated quite simply, thus: ”In foreign names take the first as the catch-word, and in English names take the last.” But lately a large number of persons have taken a fancy to bring into prominence their second Christian name, when it is obtained from a surname, and, adding a hyphen, insist on being called Clarkson-Smith, Sholto-Brown, or Tredegar-Jones. Now here is a great difficulty which the cataloguer has to face. Take the case of John Clarkson Smith. His family name may be Clarkson, and the Smith added as a necessary consequence of obtaining a certain property, in which case he properly comes under C; but he may just as likely be a Smith, who, having been named Clarkson at his christening, thinks it advantageous to bring that name into prominence, so as to distinguish himself from the other Smiths. Probably, to still further carry on the process, he will name all his children Clarkson, so that in the end it will become practically a compound surname. The cataloguer, therefore, needs to know much personal and family history before he can decide correctly. If we decide in all cases to take the first of the names hyphened together, we shall still meet with difficulties, for many persons, knowing the origin of the Clarkson, will insist on calling our friend Smith.

On this point the British Museum rule is:--

”Foreign compound surnames to be entered under the initial of the first of them. In compound Dutch and English surnames, the last name to be preferred, if no entry of a work by the same person occur in the Catalogue under the first name only.”

Cutter rules as follows:--

”16. Put compound names:

”_a._ If English, under the last part of the name, when the first has not been used alone by the author.

”This rule requires no investigation and secures uniformity; but, like all rules, it sometimes leads to entries under headings where n.o.body would look for them.

Refer.

”_b._ If foreign, under the first part.

”Both such compound names as GENTIL-BERNARD, and such as GENTIL DE CHAVAGNAC. There are various exceptions, as FeNELON, not SALIGNAC DE LAMOTHE FeNELON; VOLTAIRE, not AROUET DE VOLTAIRE. Moreover, it is not always easy to determine what is a compound surname in French. A convenient rule would be to follow the authority of Hoefer (_Biog Gen._) and Querard in such cases, if they always agreed,--unfortunately they often differ. References are necessary whichever way one decides each case.”

The Library a.s.sociation rule is:--

”32. English compound surnames are to be entered under the last part of the name; foreign ones under the first part, cross-references being given in all instances.”

The Cambridge rule is as follows:--

”4. [English] compound surnames to be entered under the last part of the compound, unless when joined by a hyphen.

”9. [Foreign] compound names to be under the first part of the compound.”

It will be seen that, although all the lawgivers are agreed upon the general principle, they do not entirely settle the difficulty which has been raised above. Probably it will be best for the cataloguer to settle each individual case on its own merits, and to be generous in the use of cross-references. It is dangerous to be guided by hyphens, because they have become absurdly common, and many persons seem to be ignorant of the true meaning of the hyphen. One sometimes even sees an ordinary Christian name joined to the surname by a hyphen, as John-Smith.

Prefixes present a great difficulty to the cataloguer, and here again a different rule has to be adopted for foreign names to that which governs English names. The broad rule is that in foreign names the article should be retained, and the preposition rejected; and the reason for this is that the article is permanent, while the preposition is not. A prefix which is translated into the relative term in a foreign language cannot be considered as a fixed portion of the name. Thus Alexander von Humboldt translated his name into Alexander de Humboldt when away from his native country. For the same reason prefixes are retained in English names. They have no meaning in themselves, and cannot be translated.

There is a difficulty in the case of certain cosmopolitan Jews who use the ”De” before their names. This is so with the Rothschilds, who style themselves De Rothschilds; but when a British peerage was conferred on the head of the house the ”De” went. Under these circ.u.mstances we must consider the ”De” as a foreign prefix, and reject it.

There is probably no point in cataloguing which presents so many difficulties to the inexperienced as this one connected with prefixes, and yet it is one upon which the lawgivers are far from being so clear as they ought to be.

Mr. Cutter's rule is the fullest, and that of the Library a.s.sociation the vaguest.

Mr. Cutter writes as follows:--

”17. Put surnames preceded by prefixes:

”_a._ In French, under the prefix when it is or contains an article, _Les_, _La_, _L'_, _Du_, _Des_; under the word following when the prefix is a preposition, _De_, _D'_.

”_b._ In English, under the prefix, as _De Quincey_, _Van Buren_, with references when necessary.