Merle d’Aubigné, J. H.
Tascher de la Pagerie, Comtesse de.
It will be seen that this form is principally governed by the custom of the country to which the author happens to belong, and cataloguers will make themselves acquainted with the usages of each country as far as they can, either by reading or by constant reference to native biographical dictionaries and authoritative catalogues.
56.—In an average British library oriental names will only occasionally come under the notice of the cataloguer, and then for the most part attached to English books. A general rule may be laid down that the first part of such names should be taken for the author-entry, as
Omar Khayyam. Rubàiyàt; transl. by Fitzgerald.
Wo Chang. England through Chinese spectacles.
Dosabhai Framji Karaka. History of the Parsis.
but a rule of this kind must not be blindly followed, as it is sure to have exceptions. Some other part of the name may be the best known or even correct form, as:
Ranjitsinhji, K. S. The Jubilee book of cricket.
remembering always that the surname according to Western ideas, handed on from one generation to another does not exist in the East. In every case it is a wise plan to consult any available catalogues that have been compiled by experts in oriental language and custom. Care is also necessary in dealing with these names lest it should be found when too late that the entry has been given under a title and not a name. On pages 76-97 of Linderfelt’s Eclectic card catalog rules will be found a list of oriental titles and occupations with their signification, and the use of this will do much to prevent mistakes of the kind. Beale’s Oriental biographical dictionary; revised by H. G. Keene (W. H. Allen, 1894) is also a helpful work in this connection.