Rákóczi - Rákoci?

When consulting books from several different periods of time we find that the name of Ferenc II Rákóczi used to have several different spelling versions. Even the contemporary literary compositions often have one thing in common – they misspell the name of Rákoci. This is not just a matter of opinion in-somuch that there are explicit rules and legislative background to this issue.

The present version of the Slovak Spelling Rules drawn up by Jazykovedný ústav Ľudovíta Štúra pays its special attention to the spelling of foreign words, esp. historically based proper names from the Hungarian times of the Slovak history. The respective section says as follows: „The names of the persons from the Hungarian times (until1918) following some non-uniform spelling rules yet (either component spelling rules or Magyar spelling rules) shall be spelt following the respective Slovak spelling principles, e.g. double characters and other letters, esp. h, having no function shall be omitted, and the quantity is subject to the rhythmic code. For instance, Pázmány spells as Pázmaň, Rákóczi/Rákóczy spells as Rákoci, Forgách/Forgács spells as Forgáč, Zichy spells as Ziči, Bercsényi spells as Berčéni...“

The Slovak Spelling Rules and the Concise Slovak Language Dictionary introduce some other principles to follow when spelling Hungarian names. This issue is in particular paid attention to by the six-volume Slovak Biographic Dictionary. The dictionary gives specific examples of almost all names known in the Slovak history of the Hungarian times. To make such a dictionary a special commission was established to include representatives of all the History Institute SAV, literary and legal historians, linguists, archivists, and bibliographers. Even this source gives the spelling Rákoci.

The rules contained in the publications mentioned shall prevail as results from the Act on official language SR. This is Act No. 270/1995, Coll. as amended in 260/1997, Coll., 5/1999, Coll. and 184/1999, Coll.

Misspelling the name of Rákoci may possibly mean violation of the law, esp. according to the following:

§ 3 (4)

Public authorities and the bodies they have established are obliged to use the official language in all information systems and intercommunication.

§ 5 (6)

Occasional press designed for the public use, museum catalogues, gallery catalogues and library catalogues, cinema programs, theatre programs, concert programs, and programs of other cultural events shall be published in the official language. Where appropriate they can contain interpretations into other languages.

§ 8 (6)

All signs, advertisements, and notices designed for informative purposes and displayed esp. in the areas such as shops, sports venues, catering venues, streets, roads, airports, bus stations and railway stations, railcars and means of public transport, must be given in the official language. They can be translated into other languages yet the foreign translations shall succeed to the text of the same size given in the official language. Spelling the name of Ferenc II Rákoci used to follow non-uniform rules. For instance, even a well-known portrait from 1703, which depicts him when staying in Podolínec, carries his name spelt as Rakoczy. An old Hungarian book of Rákóczi album introduced him under the name of Rákóczi. The commemorative articles from his funeral in Košice in 1906 gave his name spelt as Rákóczy. The Slovak version Rákoci resulted from the Slovaks´ avowing to their Hungarian history, adopting the Hungarian politicians of that time, and adjusting the spelling of Hungarian names to comply with the Slovak spelling rules. It is also known that throughout the Kingdom of Hungary foreign names used to be transcribed to comply with the Magyar spelling rules. This can be evidenced through the extensive research done by Branislav Varsik, the historian, published in his three-volume work entitled „Osídlenie Košickej kotliny“ (“The Settlement of the Košice Valley“). The Kingdom of Hungary was by all means a multinational state. The parental line of Ferenc lI Rákoci stretches back to Bohemia, while his mother, Helena Zrinski, was Croatian.

After taking into consideration the international character of the event the committee preparing the centenary anniversary of the reburial of Ferenc lI Rákoci´s mortal remains in Košice has decided to latinize this famous Kuruc leader´s name and to use it as such in the logo of the undertaking while in all papers written in Slovak the spelling version to use is to follow the Slovak spelling rules as required by law.

The session of the steering committee on “Rákóczi in Košice 1906-2006“ which was held on March 10, 2006 enjoyed the presence of Mr. Róbert Dohányoss, General Director Minority Section Ministry of Culture SR. In his opinion, the present version of Act No. 270/1995 Coll. as amended in 260/1997 Coll., 5/1999Coll., and 184/1999 Coll. is contrary to the constitutional rights providing for each person´s right to introduce their names in accordance with the respective entry made in the birth certificate. On that account he required Ferenc II Rákoci to be introduced as Rákóczi, and accordingly he undertook to supply this recommendation of his in writing.

This is the reason why this web site designed for the anniversary purposes as well as all the prospectuses concerned shall introduce the name in question in its original version to read as Rákóczi.

Slavomír Szabó