06-02-2014, 10:13 PM | #1 |
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Acronyms in old books?
Hello
Right now I am scanning an old (german) kids book (the copyright on it is expired). However, in this book, they use some acronyms. For example, "approx." instead of "approximately" Or, to stay in the german language: a couple of times, the author writes "u.s.w." (und so weiter - this means "and so on"). Now I know stuff like this from newspapers with limited space, but in books? (Especially one from around 1910) What do you think, should I change it to the full word(s) or should I use acronyms like in the print version? Personally, I think I should change it to the full word(s) but I want to hear your opinion. It would be different, if the meaning would change, but since the meaning stays the same ... |
06-03-2014, 02:18 AM | #2 |
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Depends on your goal. I tend to keep it as-is as much as possible, since I want to reproduce the book. I also do not convert the old spelling of books to the new spelling or the old fashion of quotation marks to the new.
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06-03-2014, 03:46 AM | #3 |
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I wouldn't call those acronyms, but abbreviations. Unlike Toxaris, my goal is not to reproduce an old book. Old books are not free from poor typesetting. They may be reprintings of older books, sometimes with changes without the author's knowledge/constent. In old times, the authors didn't care much about spelling, punctuation, etc. that was the typesetter's job, so being "true to the author's intent" does not necessarily include respecting all the typesetting.
I have in some cases replaces abbreviations with their full form (D. -> don, Sr. -> señor) (except when it's "reproducing" a visiting card or something like that), because I think that makes easier to read, it looks nicer, doesn't change the story or the style and, besides, I've seen new editions of the same works do the same. And, as explained above, I have no evidence the source digital text I start with is in any way closer to the author's wish. |
06-08-2014, 12:29 AM | #4 | |
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Quote:
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06-09-2014, 07:50 PM | #5 |
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I would change things only if it were a work of science used currently, so that information would be more easily accessed. Otherwise you are taking away from the flavor of how things were at the time.
It is all to easy to slip into why didn't they do this when considering the actions of persons in a book. The old expressions remind you, no penicillin in 1900, etc. |
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06-09-2014, 10:37 PM | #6 | |
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Thanks for all your opinions
Quote:
And just to add: I have this series of kids books from around the 1920s (I am focused on kids books). In one this one book, they mention the city S. Paulo. In the next book, released just 1 year later, from the same publisher, the spelling is changed to Sao Paulo. So I decided to use the full expressions, not just the acronyms. |
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06-10-2014, 07:39 AM | #7 |
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It seems very reasonable under the circumstances, especially if they are public domain and there is no author to moan about how you have desecrated their precious layout. A child is going to have an interesting time trying to figure out who S. Paolo is and wondering when he or she wandered into the book!!!
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