Frans Van Coetsem

Frans (Camille Cornelis) Van Coetsem^[1] (14 April 1919 – 11 February 2002) was a Belgian (Flemish) linguist. After an academic career in Flanders and the Netherlands he was appointed professor at Cornell University in 1968, and consequently he emigrated to the US, where, after a few years, he chose to become a naturalized American citizen.

^ This is the official spelling of his name, i.e., as it appears in the civil registry of his native Geraardsbergen and hence on his birth certificate. In his publications, Van Coetsem often adhered to the Dutch convention of spelling van (i.e., with a lower case v) when his first name or its initial preceded. Even then he alphabetized his name under V in his English language publications. American sources sometimes give his first name as Francis or spell his last name VanCoetsem.

[1] This is the official spelling of his name, i.e., as it appears in the civil registry of his native Geraardsbergen and hence on his birth certificate. In his publications, Van Coetsem often adhered to the Dutch convention of spelling van (i.e., with a lower case v) when his first name or its initial preceded. Even then he alphabetized his name under V in his English language publications. American sources sometimes give his first name as Francis or spell his last name VanCoetsem.

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