Sancho's Wife's Name [Don Qiuxote]

[Marco Tompitak]

I'm reading Don Quixote right now (the Motteux translation) and I was wondering if anyone knew the answer to this. In the first part of Don Quixote, Sancho's wife isn't mentioned much, but at least at the end her name is established to be Joan. In the second part, her name is suddenly Teresa. Is this an error, by either Cervantes or Motteux, or is there some meaning to this?

[Aylinn]

As far as I remember, Sancho's wife was always called Teresa in the Polish translation of Don Quixote, so it seems it is rather Motteux's error.

[mal4mac]

Sparks notes refers to his wife as being called "Juana", so it might be Cervantes' "error", or she might have two names used in different contexts. You need to find a definitive copy of the Spanish original and check... there might be one online, get practising your Google skills! Google Books or Amazon Look Inside might be enough. If you still can't find the answer, give the exact location of the two names and some kind person with a definitive copy might check for you...

[cacian]

I think you will need to look at the typical Spanish names since it is written in Spanish by a Spanish author. if it is translated by a polish then Teresa might its polish version. Teresa does not strike me Spanish and therefore not Cervantes choice. check to see if Teresa is used in Polish.

[Marco Tompitak]

It seems that indeed already in the Spanish version, she is first called Juana and later Teresa. This still leaves the question of whether this was intentional. It seems like a silly mistake, if it were a mistake. Does anyone happen to know?

[mal4mac]

It might be a mistake. Not that silly, there was long gap between him writing the first and second parts. It does seem to indicate he didn't read the first part all that closely before writing the second! Also he had a tough life, maybe his memory was going a bit. I'd just get on with reading this brilliant work, or the next one. Isn't chasing down trivial points like this rather tedious?

[Aylinn]

I think you will need to look at the typical Spanish names since it is written in Spanish by a Spanish author. if it is translated by a polish then Teresa might its polish version. Teresa does not strike me Spanish and therefore not Cervantes choice. check to see if Teresa is used in Polish.
Teresa, in English Tessa, is a name of Greek origin.

[Marco Tompitak]

It might be a mistake. Not that silly, there was long gap between him writing the first and second parts. It does seem to indicate he didn't read the first part all that closely before writing the second! Also he had a tough life, maybe his memory was going a bit. I'd just get on with reading this brilliant work, or the next one. Isn't chasing down trivial points like this rather tedious?

I am reading on; I was just wondering if there was anything behind it. I suspected it may be ironic; in the second book he criticizes the first part, pointing out some inconsistencies in the storyline. He may have introduced another in some sort of jest?

[mal4mac]

Don Quixote made up the name of Dulcinea for his lady love, a woman he'd seen but never spoken to. Her real name is Anna. That was obviously intentional, maybe the other name changes are also intentional. It all adds to the madness, it all adds to the fun :)

Then again, Cervantes might have got a name wrong by mistake, but then didn't bother to correct it in rewrites & reprints, realising it's wonderfully Quixotic, and Don Quijote is surely the right place for the wonderfully Quixotic!

de Avinalaf wrote a sequel to Don Quixote part I, which Cervantes (and Don Quite) pretended(?) not to be too happy about, and some of the characters changed names in that. Maybe by mistake, or maybe they were making fun of Cervantes (I say "they" because de Avellaneda was probably a collective of writers...), or maybe they were just joining in the fun. Cervantes used some of the de Avellanneeddaa names in part II, but got some wrong.

Teresa is a common name in England, Tessa as well, though a Teresa may chose to be called Tessa ... more street cred. innit.

Anyway, this name changing is no way near as confusing as names in Russian novels... the names stay the same but change in context from very formal names to pet names, and several in between.

[Whifflingpin]

"Teresa does not strike me Spanish"

Teresa of Avila was (is) one of the most revered (and controversial) of Spanish saints of the sixteenth century, a real-life female equivalent of Don Quixote in various ways.

[cacian]

"Teresa does not strike me Spanish"

Teresa of Avila was (is) one of the most revered (and controversial) of Spanish saints of the sixteenth century, a real-life female equivalent of Don Quixote in various ways.

well Teresa:
''the name is thought to be derived from the Greek verb θήρίζεἰν therizein, meaning to harvest.''
I am not sure what you mean by controversial.

[Whifflingpin]

"Teresa does not strike me Spanish and therefore not Cervantes choice."

Teresa was a famous name in Spain at the time when Cervantes was writing.
St Teresa died about the time when Cervantes was embarking on his literary career.
There is nothing surprising in Cervantes' use of the name "Teresa."

"I am not sure what you mean by controversial."
"Controversial" means "causing controversy" or "provoking argument." St Teresa's ideas and actions provoked argument.

[JBI]

"Teresa does not strike me Spanish and therefore not Cervantes choice."

Teresa was a famous name in Spain at the time when Cervantes was writing.
St Teresa died about the time when Cervantes was embarking on his literary career.
There is nothing surprising in Cervantes' use of the name "Teresa."

"I am not sure what you mean by controversial."
"Controversial" means "causing controversy" or "provoking argument." St Teresa's ideas and actions provoked argument.

You mean that woman who had religiously inspired wet dreams, which were sculpted by Bernini? Her biography at the time would have been a best seller - it was translated into other european languages shortly thereafter.

[JCamilo]

Teresa/Tereza is a commun spanish/portuguese name.
Cervates call her Joana and Mari, in the first part. Names derivated from his parents. It is a non-sense dialogue of Pança. Since the author of the apocryphe Don Quixote called her Mari, Cervantes to have a little revenge, ignored both names and gave a new one.