Is it NeanderTHals or NeanderTals??

Ewald Pfau (ehp@ear.co.at)
Mon, 05 Dec 1994 21:28:00

MRB> I grew up with the term 'Neanderthal', but lately I seen
MRB> and heard 'Neandertal' alot. Is the 'tal' version more
MRB> correct or is it that some just perfer it over 'thal'?
MRB> [personally I can't stand the term 'Neandertal', everytime
MRB> I hear it it just grates on me]

MRB> Well, which is it?

German writing has changed in the course of about 100 years. In old
books or street signs you may find the old 'Th'

It is understood, but in active writing in everyday sense, "Tal" is used
(in effect, "Thal" is wrong then).

In reading it gives (just) a bit of that notion, "take time to pronounce
the 'a'" (the 'h' will not affect spelling of the 't'). :-)

In living at a place of which the name ends on "Tal", I am quite often
asked, after having spelled my address to someone, if it is written
"Thal". I prefer to answer: if s/he likes reminiscences of ancient
times, yes, else not.

So you're better off to take "Neandertal" since this is not referring to
a research done in 1890.