Names of Ratface

[Matilda]

Barks created many truly wonderful names, but I've never been really satisfied with "Ratface" as the name for a raven. It doesn't strike me as either appropriate or funny. What do you folks think of the various names he's been given in other languages? Do you have a favorite that you can argue for on grounds other than sheer familiarity? I am amused at the German Nimmermehr (nevermore, from Poe's poem) and at the Polish Edgar, which presumably also comes from Poe. And is the Greek name "Poe"? If I were going to name this raven from Poe's poem, I might choose to name it "Quoth" (as in "Quoth the Raven," heh-heh). The Danish Rasputin is just bizarre. I can't mentally detach that name from the very particular, and peculiar, historical guy. Anyone know a derivation for the French "Algorab"? In sound, it may "feel" the most appropriate to me of all the names, even though I can't help but see it as an almost-anagram of "algebra". The Portuguese Laércio also sounds good to me.

[gadgetphile]

Apr 11, 2018 2:57:04 GMT Matilda said:

The Danish Rasputin is just bizarre.

It gets even more weird if you watch Ducktales. You see, Poe De Spell is ALSO named Rasputin in Denmark. Which has led to some confusion. (And don't get me started on 'Dangerous currency'. It's practically impossible to release in danish. You'll know what I mean if you've read it.)

[Scrooge MacDuck]

Apr 11, 2018 2:57:04 GMT Matilda said:

Anyone know a derivation for the French "Algorab"? In sound, it may "feel" the most appropriate to me of all the names, even though I can't help but see it as an almost-anagram of "algebra". The Portuguese Laércio also sounds good to me.

Glad you like it, because on top of sounding right, it's actually a very clever name. See, Algorab the an ancient name of a star — which is already fitting for a student of the occult like Magica — but on top of that it's the ancient name of Delta Corvi, hence the perfect name for a raven.

Apr 11, 2018 5:28:29 GMT gadgetphile said:

It gets even more weird if you watch Ducktales. You see, Poe De Spell is ALSO named Rasputin in Denmark. Which has led to some confusion. (And don't get me started on 'Dangerous currency'. It's practically impossible to release in danish. You'll know what I mean if you've read it.)

Er, why? Poe and Ratface do appear together at one point, that I recall, but nothing so major that a clever translator couldn't work around it for the rest of the story's sake.

[Matilda]

Apr 15, 2018 9:59:24 GMT Scrooge MacDuck said:

Apr 11, 2018 2:57:04 GMT Matilda said:

Anyone know a derivation for the French "Algorab"? In sound, it may "feel" the most appropriate to me of all the names, even though I can't help but see it as an almost-anagram of "algebra". The Portuguese Laércio also sounds good to me.

Glad you like it, because on top of sounding right, it's actually a very clever name. See, Algorab the an ancient name of a star — which is already fitting for a student of the occult like Magica — but on top of that it's the ancient name of Delta Corvi, hence the perfect name for a raven.

OK, "Algorab" wins, hands down. Arabic for "the crow" and the ancient name of a star, all very appropriate, modulo the crow/raven distinction. "Algebra" is from Arabic, too, with the "al" article, so the association I made has linguistic grounds. Anyway, from now on in my headcanon, his name is Algorab, with Ratface being the nickname Magica sometimes uses for him (with affection or exasperation, as the case may be).

Still interested to hear what others think about his name in their language, though!

I just read and enjoyed Hedman's The Replacement, where Magica throws Algorab out and he is replaced by a cat who is not what she seems to be...

[Matilda]

p.s. Somebody should edit the "culture" section of the Wikipedia Delta Corvi page to note that Algorab is the name in French Disney comics of Magica De Spell's raven familiar.

[sirtao]

....and then in Italy he's just Gennarino.