mozilla firefox linguistic style guide

7/28/2019 Mozilla Firefox Linguistic Style guide

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Linguistic Style Guide

Customer: Mozilla FirefoxLanguage: IsiXhosaProject Title:Project Components (SW/DOC/HLP):Document date:

Customer approval date:

Linguistic Style Guide Page 1


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CONTENTS

LINGUISTIC STYLE GUIDE...........................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................ 4

GENERAL STYLE CONSIDERATIONS.........................................................................................4

Style guidelines........................................................................................................................ 4

Style guidelines specific to Mozilla Firefox products............................................................5

Reference terminology.............................................................................................................5

Terminology not found in the glossary or style guide..........................................................5

ABBREVIATIONS....................................................................................................................... ...5

Common Abbreviations .......................................................................................................... 5

Measurements and Numerals.................................................................................................. 6

Percentages.............................................................................................................................. 6

Digit Groups.............................................................................................................................. 7

Filename Extensions................................................................................................................ 7

ACRONYMS................................................................................................................................... 7

Localized Acronyms ................................................................................................................7

Unlocalized Acronyms ............................................................................................................ 8

ARTICLES...................................................................................................................................... 8

Product Names......................................................................................................................... 8

COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS.............................................................................................8

GENDER-NEUTRAL TRANSLATION............................................................................................8

GENITIVE....................................................................................................................................... 9

LOCALIZED TERM VS. ENGLISH TERM......................................................................................9

Inflections..................................................................................................................................9

Singular & Plural.....................................................................................................................10

Verbs and Verb Forms........................................................................................................... 10

HEADINGS................................................................................................................................... 10

Capitalization.......................................................................................................................... 10

In Lists and Tables.......................................................................................................... .......10

HYPHENATION AND COMPOUND FORMATION......................................................................11

General Hyphenation Rules................................................................................................... 11

Compounds.............................................................................................................................11

In isiXhosa, compounds are derived from: .........................................................................11

Applications, Products, and Features..................................................................................11

Compounds with Acronyms, Abbreviations or Numerals............................................. .....12

INDEXES...................................................................................................................................... 12



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Prepositions and Articles................................................................................................... ...12

KEY NAMES................................................................................................................................. 13

PROCEDURES AND SYNTAX................................................................................................. ...13

Descriptors..............................................................................................................................13

Status Bar Messages..............................................................................................................13

PUNCTUATION............................................................................................................................13

Commas and Other Common Punctuation Marks...............................................................13

In Lists and Tables.......................................................................................................... .......13

Comma vs. Period in Numerals.............................................................................................14

SPECIAL CHARACTERS............................................................................................................ 14

TYPOGRAPHIC CONVENTIONS............................................................................................... .14

APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................14

Guidelines for the Localization of Error Messages......................................................... ....14IsiXhosa Style in Error Messages ........................................................................................14

Standard Phrases in Error Messages ..................................................................................15

Error Messages Containing Placeholders ...........................................................................15

IntroductionIntroductionThis style guide is intended for translators working on IsiXhosa Mozilla Firefox projects. Itprovides in-depth information about the quality standards expected by Mozilla for the translationof all product components. All translators should read this guide before commencing anytranslation work.

This guide addresses general translation issues and specifies certain rules of style and usagespecific to your language. It should be used as a guideline to avoid common typographic errors,and to maintain consistent terminology and writing style across a projects components andindeed a product range. The guide should be used in conjunction with the current and previousproduct-specific glossaries, glossaries of other products of a product range, and the industrystandard platform-specific glossaries, such as those provided by Microsoft.

This document may be updated or completed in the course of translation. Where no specificinstruction or recommendation is specified, translators should use the phrasing and style thatcomply with industry standards.

General Style ConsiderationsGeneral Style ConsiderationsStyle guidelinesFollow these basic rules:Original American English text tends to be rather casual. For IsiXhosa you must adapt your text tothe expected audience. It is important to keep sentences as concise and close to the originalmeaning as possible.Try to avoid long, nested sentence constructions. If necessary, break up the original sentenceand regroup it syntactically.



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Use wording that is succinct, unambiguous, and free of jargon.Produce a translation that sounds as it if was originally written in your language, i.e. avoidfollowing the original source sentence structure too closely.

Always bear in mind who your target audience is (i.e. an experienced computer user, a beginner,or a combination of both groups).Use a consistent style throughout all product components and across a product range, to ensurethat all IsiXhosa Mozilla products can be linguistically identified as part of a group of products.

Style guidelines specific to Mozilla Firefox productsPlease refer to the reference documentation supplied by Mozilla Firefox and any this style guidesand make a note of anything significant and specific that should be noted with respect to MozillaFirefox.

Reference terminologyThe following terminology sources should be used as reference in the translation:Product-specific glossary, to ensure consistency across all product components.Previous version product-specific glossary, to ensure consistency between versions.Glossaries of other Mozilla Firefox products, to ensure cross-product consistency.

Microsoft / Apple glossaries, to ensure adherence to the industry standards. It is yourresponsibility to make sure that you always have the latest Microsoft and Apple glossaries at yourdisposal. The glossaries can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/language/en/us/search.mspxandhttp://developer.apple.com/internationalization/download/

Terminology not found in the glossary or style guidePlease make a log of any terms not found in the glossary or style guide that are used frequentlyin the materials. Return this log to Rubric so that the terms can be incorporated into the glossary.This increases consistency in large projects.

AbbreviationsAbbreviations

Common AbbreviationsYou might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly buttons or options names) due to lackof space. This can be done in the following ways:

It should be noted that isiXhosa does not frequently use abbreviations and acronyms andconsequently there are very few abbreviations and no acronyms found in isiXhosa. In mostcases, isiXhosa applies English abbreviations as in the following examples: i-XNLU (isiXhosaNational Language Body), i-ANC (African National Congress).

The few common abbreviations in isiXhosa include the following examples:

njl. (njalonjalo meaning and so on),

okt. (oko kukuthi meaning that is).

The Greater Dictionary of IsiXhosa, Vol 3, (pages xxiv xxv) contains a list of abbreviations.Although these abbreviations were created for purposes of the dictionary, they are widelyaccepted and are used in any relevant context.

The following table lists common isiXhosa expressions and their associated, acceptableabbreviations.

http://www.microsoft.com/language/en/us/search.mspxhttp://developer.apple.com/internationalization/download/http://developer.apple.com/internationalization/download/http://www.microsoft.com/language/en/us/search.mspxhttp://developer.apple.com/internationalization/download/


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Expression Acceptable Abbreviation

Mnumzana (+) Mnu.Umzekelo (for example) (+) umz.Njalonjalo (and so on) (+) njl.Oko kukuthi (that is) (+) okt.

Njingalwazi (Professor) (+) Njing.Gqirha (Doctor) (+) Gqir.Nkosikazi (Mesdames) (+) NkskUse the common abbreviations listed in this section, but avoid extensive use of abbreviations. Donot abbreviate such words as and, or, something, someone, or any other word that usersmight not recognize. If you have any doubt, spell out the word rather than using an abbreviation.

Measurements and NumeralsMetric System Commonly Used?: Yes

Temperature: Celsius

Category English Translation Abbreviation

Linear Measure Kilometer Ikhilomitha n/a (Xhosa adoptsEnglish version in allof these

Abbreviations)Meter Imitha n/aDecimeter Idesimitha n/aCentimeter Isentimitha n/aMillimeter Imilimitha n/a

Capacity Hectoliter Ihektholitha n/aLiter Ilitha n/aDeciliter Idesilitha n/aCentiliter Isentilitha n/aMilliliter Imililitha n/a

Mass Ton Ithani n/aKilogram Ikhilogrem n/aPound Iponti n/aGram Igrem n/aDecigram Idesigrem n/aCentigram Isentigrem n/aMilligram Imiligrem n/a

English Units ofMeasurement

Inch I-intshi n/aFeet Unyawo n/aMile Imayili n/aGallon Igaloni n/a

Notes: The British units of measurement are no longer (officially) used in South Africa, but the

names and abbreviations are still known, mainly in a historical context.

Xhosa doesnt have abbreviations of measurement units, but use the English ones.

PercentagesPercentages are like in English, e.g. 85 %.



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Digit GroupsCountry/region: South Africa

Decimal Separator:,0,00

Decimal Separator Description: Comma

Decimal Separator Example: 5,6 ; 75,05

Thousand Separator: Space

Thousand Separator Description: Space

Thousand Separator Example: 1 543,67 ; 1 765 234,987

Notes: IsiXhosa follows English in this regard.

Filename Extensions

Filename extensions and graphic formats referenced by filename extensions such as BMP, GIF,HTML, PNG, TIFF must not be translated.

AcronymsAcronymsAcronyms are made up of the initial letters of several words that are represented by these letters.Some well-known examples are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), OLE (ObjectLinking and Embedding), or RAM (Random Access Memory).

The term acronym refers to words that are made up of the initial letters of the major parts of acompound term if they are pronounced as a new word. Some well-known examples of acronymsare WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), or RAM(Random Access Memory).

Caution: Do not include a generic term after an acronym or abbreviation if one of the letters inthe acronym stands for that term. Even though this might occur in the US-English version, itshould be corrected in the localized version. The following examples show the redundancy inred for English terms.English terms Incorrect translation of

isiXhosaCorrect translation ofisiXhosa

(-) RPC call (-) Umnxeba we-RPC (+) I-RPC(-) HTML language (-) Ulwimi lwe-HTML (+) I-HTML(-) TCP/IP-Protocol (-) IProtokhol ye-TCP/IP (+) I-TCP/IP(-) PIN Number (-) Inani le-PIN (+) I-PIN

Localized Acronyms

In online help or documentation, spell out the words that comprise an acronym or abbreviation thefirst time that acronym is used in the text. You should include the language-specific translation,the US term, and the acronym as in the following example:

1. I-Dat Access Objects (i-DAO) (Data Access Objects, DAO)2. I-ActiveXData Objects (i-ADO) (ActiveX Data Objects, ADO)

In the above examples, isiXhosa follows the English pattern with the prefix i- and a hyphen in theacronym. Note that the hyphen is necessary to avoid confusion and to indicate the English term inthe context of isiXhosa. In other words, it indicates that the prefix i- is not part of the English word.



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In the user interface, there is usually not enough space for all three terms (US term, language-specific translation, and the acronym); only in wizards, the acronym can easily be spelled out andlocalized on first mention. If there are space constraints or there is no 'first' occurrence, it is up toyou to judge to the best of your knowledge whether the acronym or abbreviation can be left as isor should be spelled out and localized.

You should also consider that different users will have different levels of knowledge about aproduct. For example, an Italian Exchange user will understand DL, but the average ItalianWindows user might not understand DL and would need to see lista di distribuzione(distribution list) instead. Try to be consistent within a product with your use of acronyms andinitializations.

Unlocalized AcronymsMany abbreviations and acronyms are standardized and remain untranslated. They are onlyfollowed by their full spelling, including their relevant prefixes, in isiXhosa if the acronym needs tobe explained to the speakers of a different language. In other cases, where the acronym is rathercommon, adding the fully spelled-out form will only confuse users. In these cases, the acronymcan be used on its own.

The following list contains examples of acronyms and abbreviations that are consideredcommonly understood; these acronyms and abbreviations should not be localized or spelled outin full in isiXhosa:

1. ANSI (American National Standards Institute)2. ISO (International Standards Organization)3. ISDN4. DOS5. DSL6. CD7. DVD

The initial prefix i- must precede these acronyms and abbreviations to make them fit in the

context of isiXhosa. If you are unsure what an acronym or abbreviation stands for or refers to,please contact the Moderator responsible for this Style Guide.

ArticlesArticles

Product NamesAs a general rule, all product names are used without definite or indefinite articles. They aretreated as proper names.

Copyrights and TrademarksCopyrights and TrademarksProduct names are often trademarked or may be trademarked in the future and are therefore

rarely translated. Before translating any product or component name, please verify that it is in facttranslatable and not protected in any way. If in doubt, please contact the Rubric Project Manager.

The same product may be marketed under different names in different countries. One solution isto add a note saying "Marketed as -------- in the UK etc" the first time the product is mentioned,and then continue to use the name as given in the text.

Gender-neutral TranslationGender-neutral TranslationYou should always recognize your audiences sensitivity to male and female stereotypes. Instead



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of stressing gender differences or reinforcing stereotypical distinctions between men and women,use language that is as neutral as possible. The neutral approach also applies to the localizationof scenarios, comparisons, examples, illustrations, and metaphors.Create a balance when assigning roles and functions to men and women (active vs. passiveroles, leading vs. secondary roles, technical vs. non-technical professions, and so on). Scenarios,pictures, metaphors, and comparisons should be based on areas and attributes common to bothgenders.

Instead of using phrases which mention the two genders separately, use a general term thatincludes both genders such as people, users, or persons.

Avoid writing sentences that refer to a single person whose gender is unknown. You can oftenavoid this situation by rewriting the sentence to make the subject plural. In cases where areference to a single person is impossible to avoid, do not use he or she, him or her, or his orhers. The language in Microsoft products should sound natural, as if part of a spokenconversation. Also, generally avoid the use of slashes to combine both genders (althoughsometimes exceptions are made - see table below).

Fortunately, we have no problem in representing he/she; him/her; his/hers in isiXhosa. We simply

indicate this by means of a subject concord, viz, u- (singular) ba-/ni- (plural)

Umfazi wam (my wife) sounds impolite and has to be replaced by inkosikazi yam. (-) Unyoko( your mother) sounds impolite especially when used by a younger person. This can also beregarded as an insult. A more polite way is (+) umama wakho( your mother) or (+) umama wakhe( his or her mother) depending on the pronoun used.

Use the following strategies to avoid the use of overtly gender-biased expressions:Linguistic method Example Context

Use a Neutral noun (+) Umntu, inkokeli, inkokeliyeqela, ichule, umsebenzi,umsebenzisi

Concept descriptions,explanations

GenitiveGenitiveThis section does not apply to IsiXhosa.

Localized term vs. English termLocalized term vs. English termThe preferred language in the computer world is English. Therefore, a translator frequently has todecide whether to use the (correct, but obsolete) translation or simply the English word.

InflectionsThe examples below show how English loanwords inflect for number in isiXhosa.English example IsiXhosa example

Clients (+) IiklayentiWebsites (+) IiwebhusayithiDownloads (+) Amaxwebhu akhutshwe kwikhompyuthaProxys (+) Iiproksi

Administrators (+) Abalawuli

The above loanwords inflected for class 10 and 2 by adding the class 10 plural prefix ii- and theclass 2 prefix aba-.



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Singular & PluralThe noun classes determine plural formation.

Example:One computer with two printers. / (+) Ikhompyutha enye eneeprinta ezimbini.

Verbs and Verb FormsSometimes an English verb can be used as loan word in the target language, that is, isiXhosa inthis case. Such loan words usually follow the syntactic and morphological rules of the targetlanguage. 31

For the sake of exposition, let us assume that the verbs in red below are not translated inisiXhosa.

English example IsiXhosa examples IsiXhosa examples IsiXhosa examples

Copy (+) Kopa (+) Kopile (+) UkukopaPrint (+) Printa (+) Printile (+) Ukuprintaspell (+) Pela (+) Pelile (+) Ukupela

HeadingsHeadingsHeadings should convey as much information as possible about the ensuing text to help readerslocate information quickly.

CapitalizationIn English headings, all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinateconjunctions (such as that, until, and which) are capitalized. Please do not apply the sameprinciple to isiXhosa headings. Instead, follow the normal isiXhosa capitalization rules. The samerule applies to software strings.

Example:

Government Departments have responsibility of development. / (+) AmaSebe kaRhulumenteanoxanduva lophuhliso.

In Lists and Tables

In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to " or with phrases such as "Workingwith " or "Using ". Titles should convey as much information as possible about the ensuingtext to help readers locate information quickly. If in English the heading begins with a gerund, tryto use a nominalized form in isiXhosa.English example IsiXhosa example

Sending a file (+) Ukuthumela ifayileUsing Styles (+) Ukusebenzisa iindlela ezithileWhenever possible, headings of lists and tables should consist of one or two words, preferably

active nouns. They should be concise, even if the original heading uses a longer phrase.

US heading IsiXhosa heading

In order to (+) Khona ukuzeDo this (+) Yenza okuHow to use (+) Indlela yokusebenzisaFirst do this (+) Qala wenze okuThen do this (+) Ukuze wenze okuHow to: (+) Indlela yoku-:



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Walkthrough (+) Yihla nayo

Hyphenation and Compound formationHyphenation and Compound formation

General Hyphenation Rules

In isiXhosa there are no words in which hyphens are used, except for using English words whenhyphenation rules are adopted.

CompoundsNoun and verb compounds are a frequent word formation strategy in isiXhosa. Product userinterfaces, online help, and documentation contain a number of such examples. However, not alllanguages use compounding to create complex word meanings.

In isiXhosa, compounds are derived from:

Noun + noun e.g. umnini + ikhaya = (+) umninikhayaVerb + noun e.g. jonga + ikhaya = (+) Jongikhaya

Verb + verb e.g. khala +baleka = (+) ukhalebalekaVerb + adverb e.g. tsiba + entla = (+) uTsibentla

The compounds are spelt as one word despite the fact that they are formed from different parts ofspeech. When a compound refers to a place name which has been derived from two parts of abigger place name, the word is separated by a hyphen, e.g. uMzantsi-Afrika (South Africa).Generally, compounds should be understandable and clear to the user. Overly long or complexcompounds should be avoided by verbally expressing the relationship among the variouscompound components. Keep in mind that unintuitive compounds are ultimately an intelligibilityand usability issue.

English examples IsiXhosa example

Internet Accounts (+) Iiakhawunti zeIntanethiLogon script processing (+) Ukwenziwa kweskripthi sokuvulaWorkgroup Administrator (+) UMlawuli Weqela LomsebenziInternet News Server Name (+) IGama leSeva yeeNdaba zeIntanethiNote that English compounds are not necessarily compounds in isiXhosa. However, Englishcompounds must be translated in a manner that is intelligible to the user and if isiXhosatranslation is narrative in an undesired manner, the English word should be left as it is, with aproper isiXhosa prefix.

Applications, Products, and FeaturesApplication/product names are often trademarked or may be trademarked in the future and aretherefore rarely translated. Occasionally, feature names are trademarked, too (e.g.IntelliSense). Before translating any application, product, or feature name, please verify that itis in fact translatable and not protected in any way.Microsoft product names are usually trademarked and remain unlocalized. Product names andnon-translated feature names are considered proper nouns and are used without definite orindefinite articles in English. For instance, attaching a genitive s to trademarked product namesis not feasible as it could be interpreted as a modification of such names. Additions to a productor component name are either added with a hyphen or a periphrastic construction needs to beused. For example, instead of expressing a possessive relationship by using the genitive markers in English, a periphrastic construction should be used:1. (-) Microsoft s products



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2. (+) Microsoft products3. (+) Products by Microsoft

Product names and non-translated feature names should also be treated as proper nouns inisiXhosa

English example IsiXhosa exampleWindows Mail shares your Internet Connectionsettings with Internet Explorer

(+) IWindows Mail yabelana neInternet Explorerngeesethings zeInternet Connection yakho

Website addresses will be sent to Microsoft (+) Iiadresi zewebhusayithi ziya kuthunyelwakuMicrosoft

By contrast, translated feature names are used with a definite or indefinite article as they are nottreated as proper names.

English example IsiXhosa example

Hide the Task Manager when it is minimized (+) Tshonisa iTask Manager xa incitshisiwe

Check for updates in your installed MediaPlayer's language

(+) Khangela uhlaziyo kulwimi lweMedia Playerlwakho olufakelweyo

Note that although the two names, Task Manager and Media Player are translatable, it ispreferred that they are, in this context, not translated for purposes of clarity because thetranslated versions of these names will have a potential of losing their meanings since they will begeneral.

Compounds with Acronyms, Abbreviations orNumerals

The compounds below contain either an abbreviation or a numeral followed by a componentname. The abbreviation or numeral is marked in red in the English example. The isiXhosaexample below show how such constructions should be translated.

English example IsiXhosa example

CD-ROM drive (+) Idrayivu ye-CD-ROM2-D gridlines (+) Igrid-layini eyi-2-D24 bit color value (+) Ibit color value ezingama-243.5 Floppy (+) Iflopi eyi-3.551/4-inch Floppy (+) Iflopi ezii-in ezi-51/4Note: It is an acceptable principle that when a technical term of the source language does nothave a straight equivalent in the target language and all other translation strategies are, forpurposes of intelligibility, not applicable, the term should be used as it is in the interest ofmaintaining the meaning of the term to the user. (Also see the subchapter on EnglishTerminology and the IsiXhosa Terminology for further comments in this respect).

Note also that the translation of the compounds above is similar in every respect with thetranslation of other compounds in this chapter.

IndexesIndexes

Prepositions and Articles

Articles

This section does not apply to IsiXhosa.



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Prepositions

There are no prepositions in isiXhosa. In terms of their semantic, prepositions in isiXhosa functionas locatives. However, prepositional phrases in English need to be translated according to theircontext; anglicisms should be avoided. The table below contains frequently used verbs and theprepositions that follow them. Please use this table as a reference.Please note that the prepositions which function as locatives in isiXhosa are not written

separately from their locative nouns but as part of the nouns.

US-English expression IsiXhosa expression Comment

Migrate to (+) fudukela e The locative formative e- formspart of the succeeding locativenoun

Migrate from (+) fuduka usuke e.

Welcome to (+) wamkelekile kwi.. The locative applies to products

The examples below contain frequently occurring noun phrases that are preceded by apreposition. Please use this table as a reference.

Since the prepositions in isiXhosa function as locatives, they must be written as part of the nounsin all cases.

US-English expression IsiXhosa expression

In the toolbar (+)kwitoolbaron the tab (+) phezu kwetab

Key NamesKey NamesIsiXhosa adopts English versions.

Procedures and SyntaxProcedures and Syntax

DescriptorsUse the descriptor (menu, button, command, etc.) only if the source text uses it or if it is neededfor clarifying the position of a term in the interface.

Status Bar MessagesPlease make sure you adequately capture the meaning of messages when translating.

If you think a source status bar message is ambiguous, query it to make sure you provide thereader with the right information: if you cannot understand it, they are also not certain to. There isnothing more annoying than "help" that doesn't!

PunctuationPunctuation

Commas and Other Common Punctuation Marks

In Lists and TablesDo not use a comma after bulleted points.If the original source entry contains a period, leave it. If the source text does not contain a period,but you split the translation into several independent sentences, put a period at the end of each



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sentence.Never put a period after just one word.The result of this method may be that some entries within one table are with and some entries arewithout a final period. From a technical point of view this is acceptable.The same convention applies to captions and callouts

Comma vs. Period in NumeralsEnglish uses a period as decimal separator. In isiXhosa, a comma is used. Do not use a spacefor this purpose as a space separates the numeral from the abbreviation.In paper sizes the decimal separator and the abbreviation "in" for inches are kept, since the sizesare US norms and should be represented accordingly.English example IsiXhosa example

5.25 cm (+) ii-sm ezi-5.255 x 7.2 inches (+) ii-intshi ezi-5 x 7.2Letter Landscape 11 x 8.5 in (+) iLetter Landscape ezii-in ezili-11 x 8.5For thousands, English uses a comma while many other languages use a period (at Microsoft wenormally do not use a space for this purpose, but we use a period instead to avoid wrappingproblems). In isiXhosa a comma is used.English example IsiXhosa example

1,526 (+) 1,526$ 1,526.75 (+) $1,526.75

Special CharactersSpecial CharactersIsiXhosa adopts English versions.

Typographic ConventionsTypographic ConventionsConsistent use of typographic conventions in documentation helps users locate and interpretinformation easily. Generally speaking, the source format should be followed as closely aspossible, i.e. terms with a particular formatting in the source should have the same formatting inthe translation.

If menu, command, option, etc. names are highlighted by bold print in the source, use bold printfor the corresponding translated terms. If menu, command, option, etc. names are put in quotesin the source, use quotes for the corresponding terms in the translation.

Note that in software strings, you must use two double quotes (""xxx"") to denote names within astring. If you only use a single double quotes ("xxx"), this will cause problems with thecompilation, as strings are generally denoted by double quotes.

AppendixAppendix

Guidelines for the Localization of Error Messages

IsiXhosa Style in Error MessagesIt is important to use consistent terminology and language style in the localized error messages,and not just translate as they appear in the US product. New localizers frequently ask for helpwith error messages. The main principles for translation are clarity, comprehensibility, andconsistency.



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Standard Phrases in Error MessagesWhen translating standard phrases, standardize. Note that sometimes the US uses differentforms to express the same thing.

Examples:English Translation Example Comment

Cannot Could not

(+) Awunako (+) Awunako ukucima It is not easy for Xhosa tjust translate such singleterms as they can refer teither a person or thing.

As such in most casestranslation refers to aperson, and that could bwrong.

Failed to Failure of

(+) Akuphumelela uku- (+) Akuphumelelaukucima

See the comment above

Cannot find Could not find Unable to find

Unable to locate

(+) Akunako ukufumana (+) Akunako ukufumanainto


Not enough memoryInsufficient memoryThere is not enoughmemoryThere is not enoughmemory available

(+) Imemori ayanelanga (+) Imemoriyekhompyutha yakhoayanelanga


... is not available

... is unavailable(+) ayikho (+) i-intanethi ayikho See the comment above

Error Messages Containing PlaceholdersWhen localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the

placeholder. This is necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholderis replaced with a word or phrase. Note that the letters used in placeholders convey a specificmeaning, see examples below:

%d, %ld, %u, and %lu means n/a%c means n/a%s means n/aExamples of error messages containing placeholders:"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web n/a"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file n/a

When localizing error messages containing placeholders, find out what text will replace theplaceholder when the user sees the error message. This process is necessary because you mustensure the resulting sentence will be grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with

a word or phrase. Most source strings have instructions that detail what text will replace theplaceholder.

In the English source string, placeholders are found in the position where they would naturallyoccur in that language. Since in English numerals typically precede the noun, the numeralplaceholders typically precede the noun in the source strings. If the numeral follows the noun itmodifies in isiXhosa, you have to move the placeholder after the noun. See the examples fromYoruba belowEnglish examples Yoruba examples



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in %d days n w n j d%d minutes s j 30The letters and symbols used in placeholder text convey a specific meaning. Please refer to thefollowing table for examples of placeholder text and corresponding error message text that userswill see.

Placeholder text Error message text that users will see%d, %ld, %u, and %lu Number (such as 3 or 512)%c Letter (such as f or s)%s String (such as Click here to continue.)Checking Web 1!d! of 2!d! Checking Web of INI file " 1!-.200s!" section INI file "" section

English example Message User will see IsiXhosa example

Replace invalid %s? Replace invalid data?Replace invalid file?

(+) Kufakwe i-%sengasebenziyo?

%s already exists File already existsName already exists

(+) I-%s sele ikho.

%s is now set as your personal

contact.

Regina is now set as your

personal contactMr. Kim is now set as yourpersonal contact

(+) I-%s ngoku ibekwe

njengomntu oya kunxibelelananaye.

%s stopped working and wasclosed

The application stopped workingand was closedThe program stopped workingand was closed

(+) I-%s iyekile ukusebenza yazeyavalwa.


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