WHY RUSSIANS TAKE SCOTTISH NAMES

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6671, 26 July 1928, Page 6

WHY RUSSIANS TAKE SCOTTISH NAMES

When a Russian x who bad boon 'born at Palkowski explained to a London magistrate that ho had since changed bis name to Maxwell, ho was asked, “Why do you people ahyays take Scot# namesf" “Because they are easier to pronounce/ ’ was the reply- i 1 It is an unexpected reason—and on# is not, quite sure that it sounds convincing. The popular.; belief in thi# country rather tend# to : be that Hussions Can pronounce anything—if, only by virtue of the which they get in pronouncing the printed versions of their own tongue. .The witness suggests a different view; that Russians do, perhaps, have difficulties with theit own names, so when a change becomes' '- appropriate they choose something which is easy to say. But’ are Scottish surnames so much easier to pronounce than English ones?. Certainly not t .ia all cases. “Smith" looks easier and is',easier than “Colquhoun”; “Brown" ought to present fewer difficulties than “Farquharson." Nor is ‘ ‘ Urquhaft" • very inviting looking; combination of consonants, and “Mehiles," <‘Dalziel,” and “Wemyss" arc all often mispronounced ou this .aide of. the Border. Of course, these are not the surnames which are usually selected by ambitious, Russian arrivals; but they do show that all Scots names cannot-be certified ns easy for the foreigner to pronounce., Mo—it may bo suspected that prestige rather than pronunciationl is al the back of the alien., preference foi Scottish labels. Historically, the Scot like the ambitions - Russian, is an in vader of this land for his own ends—and a very-successful Jind- formidabh invader. These later 1 arrivals boxrov their surnames because, hope-tha the mere sight of them .will pro due i that “inferiority complex" and striki helpful terror into the heart of _th( hapless Saxon.—Manchester Guardian