1.7B2. Language of the item and/or translation or adaptation
General Application:
Generally restrict the making of language and script notes to the situations covered in this directive. (Note: In this statement "language" and "language of the item" mean the language or languages of the content of the item (e.g., for books the language of the text); "title data" means title proper and other title information.)
If the language of the item is not clear from the transcription of the title data, make a note naming the language unless the language of the item has been named after the uniform title used as or in conjunction with the main entry. Use "and" in all cases to link two languages (or the final two when more than two are named). If more than one language is named, give the predominant language first if readily apparent; name the other languages in alphabetical order. If a predominant language is not apparent, name the languages in alphabetical order.
Special Application:
In addition to the conditions cited above, record in a note the language of the item being cataloged (whether or not the language is identified in the uniform title or in the body of the entry) in the following cases:
1. the item is in one or more of the following languages: Amharic, Georgian, Ottoman Turkish, a non-Slavic language of Central Asia written in the Cyrillic alphabet;
2. the item is in a language indigenous to one or more of the following: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, India, Indonesia (other than Indonesian), Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Tibet;
3. the item is in a language indigenous to Africa and is in a roman script;
4. the item is in a language that is not primarily written in one script. Name both the language and the script in language notes. (Note: Do not add "script" to the name of a script unless the name is also the name of a language.)
5. the item is written in a script other than the primary one for the language. Name both the language and the script in the language notes.
Note that more information may be added to language and script notes whenever the case warrants it.
Form of Language:
When naming a language in a note, base the name on the form found in the current edition of USMARC Code List for Languages (and the updates published in Cataloging Service Bulletin).
Note the following when using the USMARC code list:
Use the name found in boldface type (e.g., "Frisian," not "Friesian").
Use the name for a specific language rather than the name of a language group (e.g., use "Bunun," not "Austronesian (Other)"). (Language groups are indicated by the term "languages" or by the qualifier "(Other).").
Do not include in the name parenthetical dates that appear with the name (e.g., use "Béarnais," not "Béarnais (post-1500)").
Retain other parenthetical qualifiers that appear with the name (e.g., "Afrihili (Artificial language)"; "Luo (Kenya and Tanzania)"). For Serbo-Croatian, use "Serbo-Croatian (Cyrillic)" or "Serbo-Croatian (roman)."
For the early form of a modern language that is found in an inverted form, use the early form in direct order in the note (e.g., for "French, Old (ca. 842-1400)," use "Old French").
Greek:
For the USMARC code list forms "Attic Greek," "Greek, Ancient," and "Greek, Modern," use "Greek."
Exception: If the item is a translation from one specific Greek form into another Greek form, or contains text in two specific forms, and a note naming the language is appropriate, use the specific form(s) in the note. In specifying the form of the Greek, use one of the following terms:
"Ancient Greek" for the period before 300 B.C.
"Hellenistic Greek" for the period 300 B.C-A.D. 600
"Biblical Greek" for the Septuagint and the New Testament
"Medieval Greek" for the period 600-1453
"Modern Greek" for the period 1453-
Languages That Omit Vowels:
When a chief source in a nonroman script is vocalized or partially vocalized and this fact is significant, make one of the following notes, as appropriate:
500 ## $a Title page vocalized.
500 ## $a Title page partially vocalized.
Translation Note:
For translations, generally omit the note giving the original title if the original title is used in the uniform title main entry or is used in the uniform title under a personal or corporate name main entry.
See also:
