Onbargi or Ombargi?!

[Mario]

Recently, I noticed a couple of posts referring to Salim Onbargi...

All this time, I was wondering what that was about... So I checked the name of the cover of "Born again with Doctor Dahesh", and lo and behold, it IS Onbargi!

I felt so, so, embarrassed. All these years I was calling him Salim OMbargi—and to his face?

Oh the horror...

(Cue dramatic music)

I began to prepare myself to correct every "Ombargi" to "Onbargi"... and again, I felt like a fool! Well, perhaps old age was beginning to show its signs...

Ha! "Ombargi"... I must be really losing it... I thought to myself...

But then again, (cue chime sound) I thought "Hmmm, let me open the book that the Doctor gave me..."

And, there it was, the photograph and testimony of Salim's brother, our Martyr "Ali OMBARGI"

Wow... And I thought to myself... "Why did they change Salim's last name?"

But then I thought... "What if it is a typo?"

So I flipped some more in the book and ... well, well, look at what we have here... it is the testimony of "Mr. Salim OMBARGI"

OK, so two instances of OMBARGI... in a book that Doctor Dahesh gave me.

What do we think?

Why did those to who Salim signed his rights away later alter his name from OMBARGI to ONBARGI?

We will never know... Guess? Yes. Know?...No.

[Johnson]

On Google, most references are also Onbargi... on Dahesh Heritage, etc. It's possible Mario that you may have the definitive reference and it has just been an error that others have unknowingly propagated for many years.

I would go with the spelling that is in the book you have that the Dr. gave to you... Ombargi.

[Johnson]

I just read the introduction to Born Again with Dr. Dahesh, and yes, his name is written Onbargi there... I don't know...

[Mario]

It's everywhere in the book.

That's some error. How can all those who knew Salim so closely misprint his name on the cover, flap, dedication, and in so many other places in the book?

It is either so huge an error that it reflects such level of incompetence on the part of those who now own the rights to the book (doubtful) or... this was done on purpose. "Revisionist History" comes to mind.

I've personally seen it before: A name ever so quietly removed from whence it once stood, along with the contributions of its bearer...

I once read somewhere (else) that "eventually" those...*Gospels*...that must endure will do so while others will fall "into oblivion."

I am not so sure that is good news. The fact that something wins out in the end doesn't necessarily make it good for humanity. Like it says on my "Horizon Yogurt" container lid "In politics, Creme does not always rise to the top."

I plain English: Those with power can revise and alter history in any way they please, especially that the "average Joe" never goes deeper than the headlines.

[Johnson]

On classmates.com, Ali Ombargi is listed as attending the American University, Beruit from 1960 - 1963.

[WingedPaladin]

A Comparison with Japanese

Interesting. The Japanese have a similar letter ”ん” that can be pronounced either as an "n" or an "m". Usually it is "n", but when it comes before a "b" sounding syllable "ba" ば, "bi"　び, "bu"　ぶ, "be"　べ, "bo"　ぼ, "bya"　びゃ, "byu"　びゅ, or "byo"　びょ, it is usually pronounced with an "m" sound. I believe this is because the lips come together to pronounce a "b" sound as well as the "m" sound so the "m" sound is more natural to pronounce than the "n" sound which requires the tongue against the palate to produce. Thus, linguistically, it is easier for me to believe it to be Ombargi rather than Onbargi.

Of course we may never know without asking Salim himself...although, I do believe you have to personally sign up for classmates.com to be listed there, so perhaps Johnson has found the answer!

[Loup Solitaire]

Pronounciation is more important than spelling.....

As WingPaladin points out, not all things translate easily into English. I'm sure if a person's name had been butchered too badly to his face, he would take the time to correct.

The ear is a remarkable device (especially that of a musician) for picking nuances and replaying them properly.

My last name has six simple letters and I can not believe the games people play with them. As example how can a "m" become a "b" or a "ha" become silent. (Schaub or Scum) Or worse yet people add letters. It wouldn't be so bad if the name didn't stand for the German word for foam.

[Mario]

Thank you Winged Paladin and Ron.

I also found (online) testimonies by

Salim Onbargi

Fouad Kumbargi (Apparently, Salim's nephew and Ali's Son)

When we write the last name, there is a "K" In fact, phonetically, it is Kumbargi. However, in spoken Arabic, we kind of swallow the "K" and it sounds "Ombarjee" ... or "Ombargi"

The only two letters/sounds not available in Arabic alphabet are "V" and "P"... Which is odd since Arabic speaking individuals have no problem pronouncing the P and V... I suppose on the day the "Arabic Alphabet Committee" sat down and fleshed out the alphabet, someone must have said "Look, we've got enough letters... c'mon! Let's call it a day!"

The thing is that there is nothing in "Kumbarjee, Kumbargee, Ombargee, Ombargi" etc. that cannot be faithfully recreated in English.

Salim was alive (and well) when the book came out. This is clearly not a Typo.

Salim either (himself) changed his own name (for whatever reason) or this was done on purpose without his blessing.