von Beethoven?

[Hambone]

Maybe we drop it because his name was Ludwig van Beethoven.

BURN...

[Fate Fatale]

The word "von" in German means "of" in English. This is basically referring to the house of which a person belongs. Translated properly, his name reads Ludwig of Beethoven house. In English, these 'house names' are referred to as last or surnames. The connecting words are dropped for fluency in our language. I'm about 85% certain that "van" is just "von" conjugated differently.

EDIT: I've just wiki'd some info and I found that "von" was used only by the nobility at that time. So I am now certain that when he became famous, he changed his name from a commoner's to a nobleman's by the simple change of a letter.

[Krelian]

I'm about 85% certain that "van" is just "von" conjugated differently.

Nope. "von" doesn't change its form ever. "van" is just a Dutch word.

EDIT: I've just wiki'd some info and I found that "von" was used only by the nobility at that time. So I am now certain that when he became famous, he changed his name from a commoner's to a nobleman's by the simple change of a letter.

He didn't change his name, though. It's "van Beethoven", it never was "von Beethoven".

[NeoCracker]

Damn. Then we lose all sense or order and balance in the world.

The World of Ruin is way better anyways.

I love you oh so very much right now Don Bipper.

[Big D]

"von" doesn't change its form ever.

This is off-topic and completely pedantic, but "von" can indeed change into "vom" as an abbreviated form of "von dem".

"van" is just a Dutch word.

Indeed - a Dutch word that means something virtually the same as "von"

[Krelian]

"von" doesn't change its form ever.

This is off-topic and completely pedantic, but "von" can indeed change into "vom" as an abbreviated form of "von dem".

You got me there, forgot about that.

Indeed - a Dutch word that means something virtually the same as "von"

Yes, but the point is that it's a different language, so it can't be used interchangeably and it's not a conjugation of "von".

[Fate Fatale]

I'm about 85% certain that "van" is just "von" conjugated differently.

Nope. "von" doesn't change its form ever. "van" is just a Dutch word.

EDIT: I've just wiki'd some info and I found that "von" was used only by the nobility at that time. So I am now certain that when he became famous, he changed his name from a commoner's to a nobleman's by the simple change of a letter.

He didn't change his name, though. It's "van Beethoven", it never was "von Beethoven".

I never meant it to mean that he actually went to an office and got an official name change, it could have just been some strange whim he got when he grew to fame. People change their names (on a personal basis) every day... or at least I do.