> like in von Beethoven, where the von is kind of equivalent to the English > `lord' (it also means `of' but if I do not err, Beethoven was not a von > Beethoven all of his life). I would prefer to find him underneath B. I believe it was actually `Ludwig van Beethoven' even though he was German, not Dutch. The German `von' is the normal word for `of' or `from' and carries aristocratic connotations in a name, just as `Reginald of Kent' does and Reginald Kent does not, especially if it is `Graf von' (`Count of') or something similar. -- Phillip Helbig Email ... [log in to unmask] Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories Tel. ..... +44 1477 571 321 (ext. 297) Jodrell Bank Fax ................. +44 1477 571 618 Macclesfield Telex ................. 36149 JODREL G UK-Cheshire SK11 9DL Web .... http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/~pjh/ My opinions are not necessarily those of NRAL or the University of Manchester.