ISFDB:Language-Specific Abbreviations

Foreign Language Abbreviations Sorted by Language

Dutch Terms and Abbreviations

• Auteurs = Authors
• Anthologieën = Anthologies
• Engelse - English
• Naslag = Reference
• Reeksen = Publishers Series
• Tijdschriften = Magazines
• Titel = Title
• vert. van = translation of
• vert. door = translated by

See De Boekenplank for more details

Finnish Abbreviations

• Sid. = hardcover
• Nid. = paperback
• Kp. = cover paper
• Ns. = leather
• p. = edition

German Terms and Abbreviations

Some remarks regarding the different "editor" translations below: German distinguishes between different kinds of editing and editors ("Lektorat", "Redaktion", "Korrektorat" and "Herausgeber"). However, these activities often overlap or can be done by the same person, and they are not used consistently across different publishers. Therefore they don't translate well into English.

Often used plural forms stated in brackets:

• Anhang = appendix
• Auflage = printing (the n-th print run, for example "2. Auflage" = "2nd printing" or number line "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2").
• Ausgabe = edition (e.g. for different editions of a book) or issue (e.g. for the n-th issue of a magazine or newspaper)
• Auszug = excerpt
• Autor (Autoren) = author
• Band (Bände) = volume (as in "volume 3 of The Lord of the Rings")
• Bindung = binding
• Buchauszug = excerpt, extract of a book
• Danksagung = acknowledgments
• Edition = edition
• Elektronische Ressource = electronic resource
• Erzählung (Erzählungen) = means "story" as a general term but is often used meaning "short fiction", e.g. to express that a collection or anthology contains works of short fiction (then mostly in plural form: "Erzählungen")
• Erstausgabe = first edition
• Gebundene Ausgabe = hardcover
• Heft = booklet (nearest approximation: Digest), see 'Perry Rhodan' as most prominent example
• Herausgeber = editor (see also "Redaktion" and "Lektor" below). This is the one usually stated as the editor in anthologies. Can also be the editor of a publication series (with other and different people doing the "Lektorat" or the "Redaktion").
• Hörbuch = audiobook
• Inhalt = contents
• Inhaltsangabe = synopsis, summary, abstract (if it's summarizing the work and not the list of contents is meant)
• Inhaltsverzeichnis = table of contents, list of contents
• Kart. (short for 'Kartoniert') = soft cover (paperback or trade paperback)
• Karte (Karten) = map
• Kartenillustration (Kartenillustrationen) = map
• Korrektor: proofreader, copy editor (see also "Lektor" and "Korrektorat")
• Korrektorat: the activity of proofreading, copy-editing
• Kurzgeschichte = short fiction (usually a "short story" or "novelette", but not a "novella")
• Lektor: editor, copy editor, reader. An editor acting as a mentor or advisor for the author and the publisher. Suggests changes to a story, looks for plot holes. Can also be the one doing proofreading (see also "Korrektorat","Redaktion" and "Herausgeber")
• Lektorat: editing, proofreading, copy-editing, reader (for the activity of a "Lektor", see above). Not to be mixed up with another possible translation "editorial office", which is the group of employees (the staff) working in the "Lektorat" department of a publisher
• Magazin = magazine
• Nachwort = afterword
• Novelle = novella (German doesn't distinguish between "novella" and "novelette", see also "Kurzgeschichte" above)
• Originalausgabe = original edition
• Paperback = most often means trade paperback (note the difference between German and English: what's called a "Paperback" in German is a "trade paperback" in English!)
• Pp (short for 'Pappband') = hardcover
• Personenverzeichnis = list of characters
• Preis = price
• Redakteur (Redakteure) = editor (see also "Herausgeber" and "Lektor" above)
• Redaktion = editor, editing (for the activity of editing). Not to be mixed up with another possible translation "editorial staff", which is the group of employees (the staff) working in the editor department of a publisher.
• Reihe = publication series (e.g. "Heyne Science Fiction & Fantasy")
• Roman = novel
• Sammelband = anthology or omnibus
• Satz: typesetting (apart from that also means "sentence" in a text)
• Seite (Seiten) = page
• Serie = title series, e.g. "Perry Rhodan"
• Schutzumschlag = jacket, dust jacket (for hardcovers)
• Sprache = language
• Taschenbuch = paperback (see also the comment for "Paperback" above)
• Titelillustration = cover art
• Tonträger = recording
• Übersetzer = translator
• Übersetzung = translation
• Umschlag = cover (usually meaning front and back cover and spine together), see also "Schutzumschlag"
• Umschlaggestaltung = cover design
• Verlag = publisher, press
• Verlagsprogramm = publisher's list
• Vollständig = complete, entire
• Vorschau = preview
• Vorwort = foreword, preface

Polish Terms and Abbreviations

• nakład = number of copies printed
• okł. = okładka = cover
• posłowie = afterword
• projekt = design
• przedmowa = foreword
• red. = redaktor = editor
• seria = series
• sp. z o.o. = Ltd./LLC/Pty
• str. = pages
• tłum. = tłumacz/tłumaczenie = translator/translation
• Warszawa = Warsaw
• wstęp = foreword, introduction
• wybór = selection
• wyd. = wydawnictwo = Publisher; or wydanie = edition

Portuguese Terms and Abbreviations

• Brochura = paperback
• Capa dura = hardcover
• Paginas = pages
• Romance = Novel
• Colectânea = Collection
• Colecção de contos interligados = Collection of linked stories
• Antologia = Anthology

Russian Terms and Abbreviations

• Gos. Izdat. = Gosudarstvennoe Izdate'stvo = State Publishing House
• Izdatel'skiy dom = publishing house
• Izd-vo = Izdatelstvo = publisher
• Lit-ra = Literatura = literature
• per. = perevodchik = translator
• str. = stranitz[y] = pages
• tv. = tvyordaya oblozhka = hardcover

Swedish Terms and Abbreviations

• adl. = afdelning = section/part
• aftryck. = copy, print, impression
• arg. = argang = arlig. = annual
• bd. = band = volume
• bearb. = bearbetad = revised
• bihang. = appendix
• bil. = bilaga = supplement
• bok, pl. bocker = book(s)
• bokforl(ag) = publishing house
• bokf orlaggare = publisher(s)
• bokforteckning(ar) = catalog(s)
• boktr. = boktryckeri = printing house
• dyl. = dylik = the same as, similar
• fig. = figur(er) = illustration(s)
• foljd. = series
• forbattrad upplaga = revised edition
• fori = forfattar = author
• fori = forlaggare = publisher
• förord = preface
• forteckn. = forteckning(ar) = list(s), index(es), catalog(s)
• genomsedd = revised
• h. = hfn. = hafte = number, part
• inb. = inbunden = bound
• inledning = introduction
• innehall. = contents
• kartonerad = bound in boards
• kart. = karta = map
• kart. = kartong = board binding
• klotb. = klotband = cloth binding
• kr. = kron (currency)
• ldrbd. = laderband = leather binding
• lyxband = de luxe binding
• m. m. med mera = et cetera
• notis = note
• noter = notes
• nummer = number
• numrerad = numbered
• "o." = och = and
• "o" as a prefix means "not", e.g. "opaginerad" = unpaginated
• ofvers. = ofversatt = translated
• oillustr. = oillustrerad = without illustrations
• omarb. = omarbetad = revised
• omar-betad upplaga = revised edition
• omkr. = omkring = circa, about
• onumrerad = unnumbered
• opag. = opaginerad = unpaginated
• ore = currency until, about 1 cent
• orig. = original
• pagina = page(s)
• paginering = pagination
• papper = paper
• perm(ar) = board covers, covers
• ppbd. = papband = board binding
• pris = price
• prgtbd. = pragtband = de luxe binding
• redaktor = editor
• redaktorer = editors
• redig. = redigerat = edited
• saml. = samlade = samling = samlade = collected
• samling(ar) = collection
• sid. = sida = page
• sidor = pages
• signerat = signed
• skildr. = skildring(ar) = sescription(s)
• skr. = skrift(er) = work(s) or writing(s).
• sp. = spalt(er) = column(s)
• ss. = sidor = pages
• sv. =svensk = Swedish
• tafia = plate
• taflor = plates
• teckn. = teckning(ar) = drawing(s)
• tidskr. = tidskrift(er) = periodical(s)
• tillagg = appendix(es)
• tr. = tryckt = printed
• tryck = print
• tryckort = place of printing/publishing
• ungef. = ungefar = about, circa
• uppl. = upplaga = edition
• upplagor = editions
• utan = without
• utan ar = without year
• utan or = without place of publication
• utan titelblad = without title page
• utarb. = utarbetad = compiled
• utgifva = edition
• utgifven = edited
• utgifvare = editor(s)
• utk. = utkomma = appeared, issued
• volym = volume
• volumer = volumes