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Differences between registrant information and registrar information

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Definitions of translation and transliteration

From an e-mail sent by Chris Dillon to the T&T mailing list on 10 Feb., 2014Dear colleagues, .

So far, we are using the following definitions of translation and transliteration:

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As more than one correct translation is possible, translation is not normally a reversible process. An exception would be when a controlled vocabulary is used. Such a vocabulary may be useful for contact information. For example, it may be possible always to translate the Japanese word ビル /biru/ as "building". Even in closely related languages, controlled vocabularies may produce nonsense. For example, German erst(e) is usually 'first' and Hilfe is usually 'help'. However, erste Hilfe is 'first aid', NOT 'first help'.

Some organizations have no official English translation for their names. "Official" means a form that the organization recognizes and uses on websites, headed paper, address slips etc. In these cases it is not helpful to create an ad hoc translated form, as there may be several possibilities and the organization concerned may disown such an unofficial form.

Thoughts about transliteration

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Transliteration may be reversible in the case of alphabetic writing systems etc., as long as no letter in either script is represented by more than one letter in the other script. Thai, for example, is probably not reversible as it frequently represents the same sound with different letters depending on the tone of the syllable. See, for example, the high and low letters kho here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_alphabet#Alphabetic

Regards,

Chris.

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Definitions of validation and verification

To be added hereResearch Associate in Linguistic Computing, Centre for Digital Humanities, UCL, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT Tel +44 20 7679 1599 (int 31599) ucl.ac.uk/dis/people/chrisdillon