Historical Dictionary of Western Sahara Third ... - Scarecrow Press

Reader’s Notes
The Western Saharans (and Mauritanians) whose names appear as entries
in this dictionary are entered under their first names, with other
persons (whether Moroccans, Algerians, or Europeans) appearing in a
form most familiar to Western readers, i.e., last name first.
Saharawi and Mauritanian names are usually in the form of “A son of
B” or “M daughter of N,” as the words “ould” and “mint” mean son and
daughter respectively. Consequently, Khatri Ould Said Ould Joumani is
listed under “K” and Maaouiya Ould Sid’Ahmed Taya under “M.” As
examples of the conventional treatment accorded to other names, Driss
Basri is listed under “B” and Jacques Chirac, under “C.”
In a departure from the practice of the first two editions of this book,
most cross-references to the standard Spanish (as opposed to French
and English) spellings of names and places have been eliminated. While
this step will inevitably be thought of as a judgment call by many readers,
it is recognized that over the years more and more of the literature
on the Western Sahara has appeared in English and French, even though
Spanish-language sources continue to be extremely important. Spanish
transliterations of Saharawi names both look and sound different from
their English/French counterparts; thus, Khatri Ould Said Ould Joumani
is rendered in Spanish as Jairi Uld Said Uld Yumani, a spelling that may
confuse a reader more familiar with English and French usage.
There are cases, however, where it was thought prudent to include
cross-references with respect to names. The best example of this is the
Western Saharan capital; it is rendered in this book as El-Ayoun, a
spelling found in many sources. But alternative spellings do commonly
exist, such as the standard Spanish spelling of El-Aaiún, the French usage
of El-Aioun, and the usual Moroccan spelling of Lâayoune. These
are fully set forth as cross-references, with instructions to refer to El-
Ayoun.
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