Pashkevich vs. Paszkiewicz vs. Paskievic

[Elena Gapova]

Dear all,

I need help with the transliteration question (for an English-language encyclopedia) concerning the Belarusian woman-writer of the turn of the century ("national revival") Alaiza Pashkevich. 

She was born (1876) Алоиза Пашкевич (as Belarusian language was banned; otherwise she would be Алаіза Пашкевіч, which name she used  and under which she goes everywhere in Belarusian books). She comes from a Catholic family and that part of the North-West province where everyone either spoke or knew Polish (under different circumstances she might have considered herself Polish, but she developed a belarusian identity). Which means that if she ever transliterated her name in another alphabet (and she definitelty did, for in her late 20s she had to emigrate and studied in L'wow and Cracow), it was Paszkiewicz (I am not sure if the Russian passport that she had then was in Cyrillic or Latin). It seems, that she should go into the encyclopedia under this name (that was the most natural way for her to render her name).

But: Jan Zaprudnik in "Historical Dictionary of Belarus" (The Scarecrow Press, 1998) gives "Pashkevich, Aloiza. See. Paskevic, Alaiza" with small upward crescents which I do not know how to find in my computer over s and c, and the entry goes under this name. While "Pashkevich" is understandable, the other variant is in "Belaruskaya Lacinka", which never existed officially, but is there, having been used by some intellectual groups for several centuries. It is sometimed used in letters to oppostion ("nationalist") newspapers by the readers who want to make a political statement (of Belarus' European belonging). It is also sometimes used by Belarusian diaspora in the US (the 1944 emigration, who went first to Germany, and then to the US),  and in maps and books on Belarus published by the US governement bodies, foundations etc. (for the advice on transliteration comes from the diaspora). I mean, Belaruskaya Lacinka exists, but has never been official in Belarus.

The question is: what is the correct way to write the name?   


Hoping for help,
e.g.

There are two other names, Matejchuk and Sznarkiewicz, and these women had Polish passports (at least for several decades), but the athors insist I shoudl render their names in Bel. Lacinka as well (I understand the emtoion, but do not support the reasoning).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------