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In the original Greek text, Alexis Zorba's surname was Ζορμπά [Zormpa]. Does anyone know why the name came to be transliterated, in the English translation, as Zorba?

tchrist
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Senex Ægypti Parvi
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    The letter beta in Ancient Greek was pronounced like the sound /b/. In New Greek, it is pronounced like the sound /v/. Whenever they want to render the sound /b/ in New Greek, they write μπ. So μπ is more or less pronounced like /b/ in New Greek. – Cerberus - Reinstate Monica Jul 23 '14 at 07:07
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    Or to put it more bluntly: his name is transliterated Zorba because it is pronounced [zor'ba] in Greek. Similarly, the music style is called rebetika because that's how it's pronounced in Greek, spelt ρεμπέτικα. I'd say this question is off-topic because it's really more about Greek than English. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Jul 23 '14 at 07:24
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    This question appears to be off-topic because it is about Greek rather than English – oerkelens Jul 23 '14 at 07:39
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    (@Cerberus and Janus Bahs Jacquet) Would the people posting answers in the comments please refrain from doing so. If you have an answer, please use the "Your Answer" box. – Matt E. Эллен Jul 23 '14 at 08:01
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    I'm not sure that this is off topic. I'll let the community decide, but if something is used a certain way in English, that would seem on topic to me. c.f. pronunciation of the names of famous people. – Matt E. Эллен Jul 23 '14 at 08:02
  • @MattЭллен this has nothing to do with English, but with pronunciation of Greek and transliteration of Greek into the Latin alphabet. That English happens to use that alphabet does not make it a question about English. This is just about as on-topic as a question about the Dutch pronunciation of the ui diphthong. – oerkelens Jul 23 '14 at 09:09
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    @oerkelens it's about transliteration into English. The fact the English uses a Latin-esque alphabet is conincidental. – Matt E. Эллен Jul 23 '14 at 09:23
  • @MattЭллен - There is very little specifically English about the transliteration. Even a Greek would transliterate it the same way when writing Greek in Latin script. – oerkelens Jul 23 '14 at 09:27
  • By the way - the guy's name in Greek is Ζορμπάς. The version without the final sigma is the accusative/vocative. – oerkelens Jul 23 '14 at 09:32
  • @MattЭллен I agree with what oerkelens has said, which is exactly why I posted a comment, not an answer. I do not believe answers should be given on off-topic questions at all. The transliteration of Ζορμπάς to Zorba(s) is not English: it is cross-linguistic. The same transliteration (originating in Greece) is used in a wide variety of languages. Sorbas would be a specifically German transliteration and I might just consider that on-topic for a German SE, but Zorba(s) is not specifically English, and not on-topic for ELU in my opinion. – Janus Bahs Jacquet Jul 23 '14 at 11:23

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Because 'μπ' is pronounced /b/ (or /mb/ after vowels) in Modern Greek. It is the only way of writing /b/, since 'β' is pronounced /v/.

Compare 'μπύρα' = 'beer'.

Colin Fine
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