From blurock@risc.uni-linz.ac.at Wed Mar 15 07:12:32 1995 Received: from jade.risc.uni-linz.ac.at for blurock@risc.uni-linz.ac.at by www.ccl.net (8.6.10/930601.1506) id GAA25045; Wed, 15 Mar 1995 06:41:58 -0500 Received: by jade.risc.uni-linz.ac.at id AA26200 (5.67b8/IDA-1.5 for chemistry@ccl.net); Wed, 15 Mar 1995 12:41:49 +0100 Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 12:41:49 +0100 From: "Edward S. Blurock" Message-Id: <199503151141.AA26200@jade.risc.uni-linz.ac.at> To: chemistry@ccl.net Subject: Re: CCL:Spelling question: ?an ?er Waals In pursuit of the truth about this spelling potential barrier, I thought it appropriate to ask my colleague at the institute: Carl Van Geem The answer seems to ask more questions than it solves (I guess that's science) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Here we go... First of all, there is a difference between The Netherlands and Flanders (or Belgium) in this matter. In The Netherlands, it's quite simple: always write `van' (un-capitalised). In Belgium, the difference is that people with `van' are supposed to have blue blood. The ones (like me) writing their name with capital `V' are just ordinary people... So, I would go for "Van der Waals", except if you could demonstrate that this guy was actually Dutch (-8 or was a prince or so. There are no silly questions..., Yours, Carl.