Some remarks on the translation of proper names in mark of toledo’s and robert of ketton’s latin qur'ān translations

Abstract

This article presents Robert of Ketton’s (1143) and Mark of Toledo’s (1210) Latin translations of proper names appearing in the Qur'ān. Proper names represent a particular sub-group of words that challenges the translator in his task as a mediator between two cultures. Proper names are in fact tied to the person or the entity to which they belong and cannot, in absolute terms, be translated without losing their characteristic of being “proper.” In the article, the names are divided in different categories and the different methods are explained, that each translator uses to render the names in the translation. Final remarks try to formulate some hypotheses in order to explain the different choices of each translator in the context of their respective Qur'ān translation.