ISFDB:Language-Specific Abbreviations

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This page contains a list of language-specific terms and abbreviations sorted alphabetically by language which may be helpful to ISFDB editors when entering information about a particular title or publication.

Dutch

• 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

English

• hc = hardcover
• mmpb = mass market paperback
• tp = trade paperback
• tpb = trade paperback
• pb = paperback (could be either mmpb or tpb)

Finnish

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

German

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
• Anmerkungen = annotations (if the text is annotated/commented, see also "Kommentierte Ausgabe"), notes (if there's a chapter (often before or after the main text) which contains some notes or remarks about the publication)
• 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
• Buchdeckel = front and back cover
• Bucheinband = cover (meaning front cover, back cover and spine together) Wikipedia article
• Buchrücken = spine
• Danksagung = acknowledgments
• Durchgesehene Neuausgabe = new perused edition (see also "Neuausgabe" below)
• Edition = edition
• Einband = see "Bucheinband"
• 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")
• Erstauflage = first printing (of an edition)
• Erstausgabe = first edition
• Fußnote = footnote
• Gebundene Ausgabe = hardcover
• Gebunden mit Schutzumschlag = hardcover (with dust jacket)
• 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
• Klappenbroschur = soft cover with front and back flap
• 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"; see also "Novelle" and "Erzählung")
• Kommentierte Ausgabe = annotated edition
• 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
• Neuauflage = new printing (of an edition, continuing the printing count; if it's also sligthly revised see "Überarbeitete Neuauflage"). Wikipedia article
• Neuausgabe = new edition (usually used when one or more major things changed, e.g.: new publisher, new grammar, new ISBN, new binding, new afterword, new illustrations; can reset the printing count to 1st printing; see also "Überarbeitete Neuausgabe"). Wikipedia article
• Novelle = novella (German doesn't distinguish between "novella" and "novelette", see also "Kurzgeschichte" and "Erzählung" 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 (if it's a list of characters of the story), register of persons (if it's a list of real persons - something that is probably not used very often in SF publications)
• 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)
• Taschenbuchneuausgabe = new paperback edition (see also "Neuausgabe" and "Überarbeitete Neuausgabe")
• Textredaktion = editor, editing (it is used as a synonym for someone doing the "Redaktion", "Lektorat" and/or "Korrektorat")
• Titelillustration = cover art
• Tonträger = recording
• Überarbeitete Neuauflage = new revised printing (of an edition. See also "Neuauflage" above)
• Überarbeitete Neuausgabe = new revised edition (see also "Neuausgabe" above)
• Übersetzer = translator
• Übersetzung = translation
• Umschlag = cover (usually meaning front and back cover and spine together, see also "Schutzumschlag")
• Umschlagbild = literally: cover picture/image; usually indicating the cover artist
• Umschlaggestaltung = cover design
• Verlag = publisher, press
• Verlagsprogramm = publisher's list
• Vollständig = complete, entire
• Vorschau = preview
• Vorwort = foreword, preface
• Wendebuch, Wendeband, Wendebd. = dos-a-dos, tête-bêche or back-to-back binding
• Widmung = inscription or dedication?

Japanese

See Help:Japanese book word glossary.

Polish

• 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

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

Russian

• 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

• 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

Turkish

• adı = title
• basım = impression, printing [1. basım = 1st printing]
• baskı = printing (both the act of printing the book, and an edition, that is, a set of copies printed)
• baskı tarihi = printing date
• başlık = title
• çev. = çeviri/çevirmen/çeviren = translation, translator. Or the translator may be indicated simply by the notation "Türkçesi" = "Turkish [version]"
• cilt = binding; also, a volume [2 cilt takım = 2 volume set]
• ciltli = hardcover
• ciltsiz = paperback
• dergi(si) = magazine, periodical
• derleyen = compiler, editor of an anthology (selecting the contents)
• dil(i) = language
• dizi(si) = series
• düzenleyen = editor of an anthology (selecting the contents)
• gömlek, gömleği = book jacket
• hazırlan, hazırlayan = editor (the editor who prepares the book for publication; also used for the editor of an anthology)
• ince kapak = paperback
• içindekiler = contents
• kapak = cover
• kapak resmi = cover image, cover illustration
• karton kapak = paperback
• kitap = book, volume
• matbaacılık = printing
• önsöz = preface, introduction
• öykü (plural: öyküler) = (short) story
• özgün adı = original title
• resim (plural: resimler) = image, illustration
• roman = novel
• s. (şekl.) = sayfa (şeklinde) = pages (in length)
• sayı(sı) = number
• tasarım = design
• teşekkür = acknowledgments
• tür = genre ("bilimkurgu" would be science fiction and "fantezi" would be fantasy)
• yay. = yayınlar(ı) = publications, publisher
• yayınevi = publisher
• yayın tarihi = publication date
• yazar = author
• yıl(ı) = year