Osama or Usama?

[Lord_Ashtar]

Speaking about Bin Laden, of course. Which is the correct way to spell his first name? I’ve seen it spelled both ways.

[GorillaMan]

Either. It’s a transliteration from another script, so there’s no ‘correct’ version.

[Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor]

It’s pronounced “Barney”. Funny how the networks always get that wrong…

[rjung]

If you believe David Pacheco, then it’s originally “Osama,” but the CIA made him change it to “Usama” as a reminder of thei help they gave him.

Of course, if you believe that, then you also have to believe bin Laden was boozing it up in Vegas, throwing disposable burquas to passing women, and trying to convince a doorman at Circus Circus to defect to the Taliban…

[ltfire]

I prefer to pronounce it ‘SCUMBAG’
…but that’s just me.

[Mister_Rik]

I think the change from Osama to Usama just a way for the media to make themselves appear enlightened. One outlet did it first, then the other outlets jumped on the bandwagon.

Kind of like that Libyan fellow. Is it spelled with a K, a Q or a G?

[syncrolecyne]

Standard Arabic only has three vowels, one of them is intermediate between “o” and “u”. Also Arabic has a multitude of dialects.

I happen to know a Moroccan with that name, due to the French influence in his country, he transliterates it as “Oussama”.

[kellner]

@Phase42

Kind of like that Libyan fellow. Is it spelled with a K, a Q or a G?

From people who should know:

EXPLANATORY NOTE

             This file  contains the  complete
             text of THE GREEN BOOK (Part One)
             by **Mu`ammar al-Qadhafi**.

             This  translation was published  by the
           Public  Establishment   for    Publishing,
           Advertising  and  Distribution in Tripoli,
           Libya.

             Absolute  fidelity to the  original has
           been maintained, including  page and line
           numbers. 

(bolding mine)

[GorillaMan]

The same book is available, in Libya, in Hebrew. Should we take that as an authentic representation of Hebrew grammar? (…errrm yes, I suppose I’m being facetious)

[spingears]

**
Osama aka USAma
R. I. P.**

Otherwise who cares?

[GorillaMan]

@spingears

**
Osama aka USAma
R. I. P.**

Otherwise who cares?

that made no sense whatsoever

[kellner]

@GorillaMan

The same book is available, in Libya, in Hebrew. Should we take that as an authentic representation of Hebrew grammar? (…errrm yes, I suppose I’m being facetious)

I know it’s only one transliteration and doesn’t mean much technically but the Libyan sources I can remember use this version. This was just the best cite I found right now. If the Colonel himself has an opinion on that topic we can safely assume that this should be ok. Otherwise it is not that wrong either.
Ok, it doesn’t matter that much. You won.

[spingears]

@GorillaMan

that made no sense whatsoever

From OP: “Which is the correct way to spell his first name? I’ve seen it spelled both ways.”

Spell it both ways and carve it on his monument.
He won’t care and we will all be shut of him!

[GorillaMan]

@spingears

From OP: “Which is the correct way to spell his first name? I’ve seen it spelled both ways.”

Spell it both ways and carve it on his monument.
He won’t care and we will all be shut of him!

A martyr with two transliterations!!! Damn I’ll sleep sound when that happens :rolleyes:

[Lord_Ashtar]

So it can be spelled either way? Sure wasn’t expecting that.

Thanks all.