The Code from the Town of Vinci

Who was Leonoardo da Vinci? As you may already know, he was a man with many talents:

• architect,
• musician,
• anatomist,
• inventor,
• engineer,
• sculptor,
• geometer,
• and painter.

Personally, I don't know much about Leonardo but one thing I have known for many years was that we call him Leonardo da Vinci, which means "Leonardo from the town of Vinci."

So, I was surprised when Dan Brown published his book titled "The Da Vinci Code," which actually means "The Code from the Town of Vinci." Huh? I wonder if most readers of his book even knew that nobody knows the last name (surname) of Leonardo. Well, for most Americans, if Mr. Brown had titled the book "The Leonardo Code," maybe many people would have ignored the book--Leonardo is a commom first name!

My concern is that anmi-eikaiwa students will see the movie and book title and assume that "da Vinci" is the correct English to use when discussing topics related to Leonardo.

So, if you are having a conversation with someone in English, should you use "da Vinci" or Leonardo? Well, if the other speaker uses "da Vinci," you might want to just play along and not say anything about the correct name. They may become offended or think your English is wrong (when in fact you are absolutely correct). If you use Leonardo there should be no problem since the conversation is about Leonardo da Vinci.

If you happen to be outside of the States, or are visiting with someone who is well educated or has a background in art (although Dan Brown studied art himself), you might want to avoid using "da Vinci" when referring to Leonardo.

Since we are on the topics of names, note the following English tips regarding names.

1. Use a first name with friends, family, and coworkers who prefer to go by their first name:

• Chip; David; Mary; Hanako; Howard; Leonardo

2. Use "Mr." and a last name with male superiors, teachers, father-in-laws, customers, officials, etc. Be sure to only use "Mr." with the last name or with a combination of the first name and the last name:

• Mr. Sorensen; Mr. Chip Sorensen; Mr. Grazzi; Mr. Leonardo Grazzi; Mr. Tanaka; Mr. Hiro Tanaka

Use "Ms." and a last name with female superiors, teachers, mother-in-laws, customers, officials, etc. Be sure to only use "Ms." with the last name or with a combination of the first name and the last name:

• Ms. Sorensen; Ms. Francis Sorensen; Ms. Davidson; Ms. Mary Davidson; Ms. Suzuki; Ms. Hanako Suzuki

Use "Mrs." only in cases where the woman has introduced herself as "Mrs. Something" as opposed to "Ms. Something." Some older women may also insist on the older and more formal usage of "Mrs." and the name of her husband.

• Mrs. George Bush; Mrs. Leonardo Grazzi; Mrs. Takeshi Koizumi

If you want to learn more about the secrets of names and proper usage, please visit your local bookstore and buy a copy of my latest book, "Da America Code." Oops! I mean "The Chip da America Code."