About Spanish Transcription of Arabic Names from Byzantine Historiographic Sources

Abstract

Byzantine onomastics transcription and its lack of standardization in Spanish academic works are problematic issues when recovering prosopographic data. It is also a recurring topic when selecting a commonly accepted or recognizable name variation for use in a Spanish academic work. Moreover, the presence of non-Greek names hinders this task and the usage of a Hellenized foreign name as a source material for transcription is debatable. A comparison of Arabic name samples taken from Byzantine chroniclers shows that Spanish classical transcription for Arabic names can help avoid etymological twins and confusion. We also note that transliteration is a widely used method in academic works and therefore compatible with a rather simpler onomastic term. In fact, hyperlinks can resolve this issue between name-rendering methods.