Appendix F: Initial Definite and Indefinite Articles

Appendix F: Initial Definite and Indefinite Articles

The first indicator position in the X30 Uniform Title fields (excluding field 830) and the second indicator position in fields 222 Key Title , 240 Uniform Title , 242 Translation of Title by Cataloging Agency , 243 Collective Uniform Title , 245 Title Statement , 440 Series Statement/Added Entry - Title , and 830 Series Added Entry - Uniform Title contain a numeric value (0-9) that specifies the number of character positions associated with an initial definite or indefinite article to be disregarded in sorting and filing processes. Initial articles may also simply be deleted in the formulation of the heading. If the initial article is retained but is not to be disregarded in sorting and filing processes, the second indicator position contains value 0.

The list below of definite and indefinite articles and the languages in which they are used is arranged alphabetically by the article.

Note: This list also appears in the MARC 21 Format for Authority Data . Because the updates to the formats are published on different schedules, the date of this appendix should be referred to in order to verify which list is the most up-to-date.

-A-
a	English, Gallegan, Hungarian, Portuguese, Romanian, Scots, Yiddish
a’	Gaelic
al	Romanian
al-	Arabic, Baluchi, Brahui, Panjabi (Perso-Arabic script), Persian, Turkish, Urdu (Note: al- is meant to cover alternate romanizations of the initial article (e.g., *as-sijill*)
am	Gaelic
an	English, Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Yiddish
an t-	Gaelic, Irish
ane	Scots
ang	Tagalog
ang mga	Tagalog
as	Gallegan, Portuguese
az	Hungarian
-B-
bat	Basque
bir	Turkish
-D-
d’	English
da	Shetland English
das	German
de	Danish, Dutch, English, Friesian, Norwegian, Swedish
dei	Norwegian
dem	German
den	Danish, German, Norwegian, Swedish
der	German, Yiddish
des	German
det	Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
di	Yiddish
die	Afrikaans, German, Yiddish
dos	Yiddish
-E-
e	Norwegian
’e	Friesian
een	Dutch
eene	Dutch
egy	Hungarian
ei	Norwegian
ein	German, Norwegian
eine	German
einem	German
einen	German
einer	German
eines	German
eit	Norwegian
el	Catalan, Spanish
el-	Arabic
els	Catalan
en	Catalan, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
et	Danish, Norwegian
ett	Swedish
eyn	Yiddish
eyne	Yiddish
-G-
gl’	Italian
gli	Italian
-H-
ha-	Hebrew
hai	Classical Greek, Greek
he	Hawaiian
	Classical Greek, Greek
he-	Hebrew
heis	Greek
hen	Greek
hena	Greek
henas	Greek
het	Dutch
hin	Icelandic
hina	Icelandic
hinar	Icelandic
hinir	Icelandic
hinn	Icelandic
hinna	Icelandic
hinnar	Icelandic
hinni	Icelandic
hins	Icelandic
hinu	Icelandic
hinum	Icelandic
hið	Icelandic
ho	Classical Greek, Greek
hoi	Classical Greek, Greek
-I-
i	Italian
ih’	Provençal
il	Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc
il-	Maltese
in	Friesian
it	Friesian
-K-
ka	Hawaiian
ke	Hawaiian
kekahi	Hawaiian
-L-
l’	Catalan, French, Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc
l-	Maltese
la	Catalan, Esperanto, French, Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc, Spanish
las	Provençal/Langue d’oc, Spanish
le	French, Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc
les	Catalan, French, Provençal/Langue d’oc
lh	Provençal/Langue d’oc
lhi	Provençal/Langue d’oc
li	Provençal/Langue d’oc
lis	Provençal/Langue d’oc
lo	Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc, Spanish
los	Provençal/Langue d’oc, Spanish
lou	Provençal/Langue d’oc
lu	Provençal/Langue d’oc
-M-
mga	Tagalog
	Tagalog
mia	Greek
-N-
’n	Afrikaans, Dutch, Friesian
na	Gaelic, Hawaiian, Irish
na h-	Gaelic, Irish
ny	Malagasy
-O-
’o	Neapolitan
o	Gallegan, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Romanian
os	Portuguese
-R-
’r	Icelandic
-S-
’s	German
sa	Tagalog
sa mga	Tagalog
si	Tagalog
siná	Tagalog
-T-
’t	Dutch, Friesian
ta	Classical Greek, Greek
tais	Classical Greek
tas	Classical Greek
	Classical Greek
	Classical Greek, Greek
	Classical Greek, Greek
the	English
to	Classical Greek, Greek
	Classical Greek
tois	Classical Greek
ton	Classical Greek, Greek
	Classical Greek, Greek
tou	Classical Greek, Greek
-U-
um	Portuguese
uma	Portuguese
un	Catalan, French, Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc, Romanian, Spanish
un’	Italian
una	Catalan, Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc, Spanish
une	French
unei	Romanian
unha	Gallegan
uno	Italian, Provençal/Langue d’oc
uns	Provençal/Langue d’oc
unui	Romanian
us	Provençal/Langue d’oc
-Y-
y	Welsh
ye	English
yr	Welsh

See also:

Appendices