Text 17380, 67 rader
Skriven 2005-12-01 11:16:00 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
  Kommentar till text 17326 av FRANK SCHEIDT (1:123/140)
Ärende: Copyright
=================
 >> Are you a stand-up comic by profession Mr. Vlist,

 MVDV>> The name is _van_der_ Vlist.  If you must use my family name, please
 MVDV>> use it correctly.

 > OK ... I wasn't aware that the "van der" was part of your surname.

Hmmm for someone claiming to be an expert on Europe, you are pretty ignorant.

European surnames basicall go into three catagories:

1) Derived from a profession: Smit (smith), Bakker (baker)

2) Derived from the name of the father: Karlson (Son of Karl) Janson, Jansen,
(Son of Jan)

3) Derived from a place: van der Vlist: from, or of, Vlist.

About 50 km south west of here there is a little village by the name of Vlist.
A little river with the same name flows through it. Most likely one of my
forefathers came from that place. I could claim as a landlord, but as I have
not pursued this and sometimes the landlord's workers would also adopt the name
of the place, I can not say.

The derivation is signaled by "van", "van de" or "van der" in Dutch. In German
by "von". In French "de". In French however, just like in English the prefixes
are sometimes concatenated with the name itself. We have a Joe Delahaye here.
That derives from "de la Haye" or "from The Hague". I believe "Vanderbilt" is a
well known name in the US. The original Dutch name probably was "van der Bilt".
Note that the prefixes are not capitalised.

So the "van der" in my name is not a middle name, it is part of my surname.

Other than that: Referring to someone by his last name in thge examples you
gave (the news) is perfectly all right here as well. It is not all right
however to address someone with hist last name only. In earlier days that from
was used to address an underling, nowadays it is considered patronising. If one
is not on a first name basis, one prefixes he name with Mr. or Dr. or whatever
title is appropriate.

OTOH, it is also considered mildly insulting here to adress someone as "Mr." in
a group if the group's customs and mores are that all members are on a first
name basis.

 >> or is it merely a hobby?   ... heh heh heh ... BTW, you're the
 >> only one I know who seems to think *Germany* won WWII ...

 MVDV>> Eh??? How did you get the idea I think Germany won? They
 MVDV>> obviously lost I'd say.

 > Huh?  You say, and I quote:  "It also explains why so many
 > Americans believe the US won WWII."  That says you think the
 > US *lost* WWII.  Strange!

Only in your binary way of thinking.

War is not a football game where there are just two parties and where in the
end there is always exactly one winner and exactly one loser.

In real wars there are third parties that contributed but that by themselves
neither lost nor won. Or that are part of the winning team, but that are not
the winners as such.

Cheers, Michiel

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 * Origin: http://www.vlist.org (2:280/5555)