# Transliteration Conventions for Heritage Custodian Names

**Document Type**: User Guide  
**Version**: 1.0  
**Last Updated**: 2025-12-08  
**Related Rules**: `.opencode/TRANSLITERATION_STANDARDS.md`, `AGENTS.md` (Rule 12)

---

## Overview

This document provides comprehensive examples and guidance for transliterating heritage institution names from non-Latin scripts to Latin characters. Transliteration is **required** for generating GHCID abbreviations but the **original emic name is always preserved**.

### Key Principles

1. **Emic name preserved** - Original script stored in `custodian_name.emic_name`
2. **ISO standards used** - Recognized international transliteration standards
3. **Deterministic output** - Same input always produces same Latin output
4. **Abbreviation purpose only** - Transliteration is for GHCID generation, not display

---

## Language-by-Language Examples

### Russian (Cyrillic - ISO 9:1995)

**Dataset Statistics**: 13 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| Институт восточных рукописей РАН | Institut vostočnyh rukopisej RAN | IVRR |
| Российская государственная библиотека | Rossijskaja gosudarstvennaja biblioteka | RGB |
| Государственный архив Российской Федерации | Gosudarstvennyj arhiv Rossijskoj Federacii | GARF |

**Skip Words (Russian)**: None significant (Russian doesn't use articles)

**Character Mapping**:
```
А → A    Б → B    В → V    Г → G    Д → D    Е → E
Ё → Ë    Ж → Ž    З → Z    И → I    Й → J    К → K
Л → L    М → M    Н → N    О → O    П → P    Р → R
С → S    Т → T    У → U    Ф → F    Х → H    Ц → C
Ч → Č    Ш → Š    Щ → Ŝ    Ъ → ʺ    Ы → Y    Ь → ʹ
Э → È    Ю → Û    Я → Â
```

---

### Ukrainian (Cyrillic - ISO 9:1995)

**Dataset Statistics**: 8 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| Центральний державний архів громадських об'єднань України | Centralnyj deržavnyj arhiv hromadskyx objednan Ukrainy | CDAGOU |
| Національна бібліотека України | Nacionalna biblioteka Ukrainy | NBU |

**Ukrainian-specific characters**:
```
І → I    Ї → Ji    Є → Je    Ґ → G'
```

---

### Chinese (Hanyu Pinyin - ISO 7098)

**Dataset Statistics**: 27 institutions

| Emic Name | Pinyin | Abbreviation |
|-----------|--------|--------------|
| 东巴文化博物院 | Dōngbā Wénhuà Bówùyuàn | DWB |
| 中国第一历史档案馆 | Zhōngguó Dìyī Lìshǐ Dàng'ànguǎn | ZDLD |
| 北京故宫博物院 | Běijīng Gùgōng Bówùyuàn | BGB |
| 中国国家图书馆 | Zhōngguó Guójiā Túshūguǎn | ZGT |

**Notes**:
- Tone marks are removed for abbreviation (diacritics normalization)
- Word boundaries follow natural semantic breaks
- Multi-syllable words keep together

**Skip Words**: None (Chinese doesn't use separate articles/prepositions)

---

### Japanese (Modified Hepburn)

**Dataset Statistics**: 19 institutions

| Emic Name | Romaji | Abbreviation |
|-----------|--------|--------------|
| 国立中央博物館 | Kokuritsu Chūō Hakubutsukan | KCH |
| 東京国立博物館 | Tōkyō Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan | TKH |
| 国立国会図書館 | Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan | KKT |

**Notes**:
- Long vowels (ō, ū) normalized to (o, u)
- Particles typically attached to preceding word
- Kanji compounds transliterated as single words

---

### Korean (Revised Romanization)

**Dataset Statistics**: 36 institutions

| Emic Name | RR Romanization | Abbreviation |
|-----------|-----------------|--------------|
| 독립기념관 | Dongnip Ginyeomgwan | DG |
| 국립중앙박물관 | Gungnip Jungang Bakmulgwan | GJB |
| 서울대학교 규장각한국학연구원 | Seoul Daehakgyo Gyujanggak Hangukhak Yeonguwon | SDGHY |
| 국립한글박물관 | Gungnip Hangeul Bakmulgwan | GHB |

**Notes**:
- No diacritics in Revised Romanization (unlike McCune-Reischauer)
- Consonant assimilation reflected in spelling
- Spaces at natural word boundaries

---

### Arabic (ISO 233-2)

**Dataset Statistics**: 8 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| المكتبة الوطنية للمملكة المغربية | al-Maktaba al-Waṭanīya lil-Mamlaka al-Maġribīya | MWMM |
| دار الكتب المصرية | Dār al-Kutub al-Miṣrīya | DKM |
| المتحف الوطني العراقي | al-Matḥaf al-Waṭanī al-ʿIrāqī | MWI |

**Skip Words**:
- `al-` (definite article "the")
- After skip word removal: Maktaba, Wataniya, Mamlaka, Maghribiya → MWMM

**Notes**:
- Right-to-left script
- Definite article "al-" always skipped
- Diacritics normalized (ā→a, ī→i, etc.)

---

### Persian/Farsi (ISO 233-3)

**Dataset Statistics**: 11 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| وزارت امور خارجه ایران | Vezārat-e Omūr-e Khārejeh-ye Īrān | VOKI |
| کتابخانه آستان قدس رضوی | Ketābkhāneh-ye Āstān-e Qods-e Raẓavī | KAQR |
| مجلس شورای اسلامی | Majles-e Showrā-ye Eslāmī | MSE |

**Skip Words**:
- `-e`, `-ye` (ezafe connector, "of")
- `va` ("and")

**Persian-specific characters**:
```
پ → p    چ → č    ژ → ž    گ → g
```

---

### Hebrew (ISO 259-3)

**Dataset Statistics**: 4 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| ארכיון הסיפור העממי בישראל | Arḵiyon ha-Sipur ha-ʿAmami be-Yiśraʾel | ASAY |
| הספרייה הלאומית | ha-Sifriya ha-Leʾumit | SL |
| ארכיון המדינה | Arḵiyon ha-Medina | AM |

**Skip Words**:
- `ha-` (definite article "the")
- `be-` ("in")
- `le-` ("to")
- `ve-` ("and")

**Notes**:
- Right-to-left script
- Articles attached with hyphen
- Silent letters (aleph, ayin) often omitted in abbreviation

---

### Hindi (Devanagari - ISO 15919)

**Dataset Statistics**: 14 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| राजस्थान प्राच्यविद्या प्रतिष्ठान | Rājasthāna Prācyavidyā Pratiṣṭhāna | RPP |
| राष्ट्रीय अभिलेखागार | Rāṣṭrīya Abhilekhāgāra | RA |
| राष्ट्रीय संग्रहालय नई दिल्ली | Rāṣṭrīya Saṅgrahālaya Naī Dillī | RSND |

**Skip Words**:
- `ka`, `ki`, `ke` ("of")
- `aur` ("and")
- `mein` ("in")

**Notes**:
- Conjunct consonants transliterated as cluster
- Long vowels marked (ā, ī, ū) then normalized

---

### Greek (ISO 843)

**Dataset Statistics**: 2 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Θεσσαλονίκης | Archaiologikó Mouseío Thessaloníkīs | AMT |
| Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη της Ελλάδας | Ethnikī́ Vivliothī́kī tīs Elládas | EVE |

**Skip Words**:
- `tīs`, `tou` ("of the")
- `kai` ("and")

**Character Mapping**:
```
Α → A    Β → V    Γ → G    Δ → D    Ε → E    Ζ → Z
Η → Ī    Θ → Th   Ι → I    Κ → K    Λ → L    Μ → M
Ν → N    Ξ → X    Ο → O    Π → P    Ρ → R    Σ → S
Τ → T    Υ → Y    Φ → F    Χ → Ch   Ψ → Ps   Ω → Ō
```

---

### Thai (ISO 11940-2)

**Dataset Statistics**: 6 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| สำนักหอจดหมายเหตุแห่งชาติ | Samnak Ho Chotmaihet Haeng Chat | SHCHC |
| หอสมุดแห่งชาติ | Ho Samut Haeng Chat | HSHC |

**Notes**:
- Thai script is abugida (consonant-vowel syllables)
- No spaces in Thai; word boundaries determined by meaning
- Royal Thai General System also acceptable

---

### Armenian (ISO 9985)

**Dataset Statistics**: 4 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| Մdelays delays delaysdelays delaysатенадаран | Matenadaran | M |
| Ազdelays delays delays delays delays delays delays delays delaysգdelays delays delays delays delays delaysdelays delaysdelays delaysდайн Пdelays delays delays delays delaysатאрաнագитаран | Azgayin Matenadaran | AM |

**Notes**:
- Armenian alphabet unique to Armenian language
- Transliteration straightforward letter-for-letter

---

### Georgian (ISO 9984)

**Dataset Statistics**: 2 institutions

| Emic Name | Transliterated | Abbreviation |
|-----------|----------------|--------------|
| ხელნაწერთა ეროვნული ცენტრი | Xelnawerti Erovnuli C'ent'ri | XEC |
| საქართველოს ეროვნული არქივი | Sakartvelos Erovnuli Arkivi | SEA |

**Notes**:
- Georgian Mkhedruli script
- Apostrophes mark ejective consonants (removed in abbreviation)

---

## Complete Workflow Example

### Step-by-Step: Korean Institution

**Institution**: National Museum of Korea

1. **Emic Name (Original Script)**:
   ```
   국립중앙박물관
   ```

2. **Language Detection**: Korean (ko)

3. **Transliterate using Revised Romanization**:
   ```
   Gungnip Jungang Bakmulgwan
   ```

4. **Identify Skip Words**: None for Korean

5. **Extract First Letters**:
   ```
   G + J + B = GJB
   ```

6. **Diacritic Normalization**: N/A (RR has no diacritics)

7. **Final Abbreviation**: `GJB`

8. **Store in YAML**:
   ```yaml
   custodian_name:
     emic_name: 국립중앙박물관
     name_language: ko
     english_name: National Museum of Korea
   ghcid:
     ghcid_current: KR-SO-SEO-M-GJB
     abbreviation_source: transliterated_emic
   ```

---

### Step-by-Step: Arabic Institution

**Institution**: National Library of Morocco

1. **Emic Name (Original Script)**:
   ```
   المكتبة الوطنية للمملكة المغربية
   ```

2. **Language Detection**: Arabic (ar)

3. **Transliterate using ISO 233-2**:
   ```
   al-Maktaba al-Waṭanīya lil-Mamlaka al-Maġribīya
   ```

4. **Identify Skip Words**: `al-` (4 occurrences), `lil-` (1)

5. **After Skip Word Removal**:
   ```
   Maktaba Waṭanīya Mamlaka Maġribīya
   ```

6. **Extract First Letters**:
   ```
   M + W + M + M = MWMM
   ```

7. **Diacritic Normalization**: ṭ→t, ī→i, ġ→g
   ```
   MWMM (already ASCII)
   ```

8. **Final Abbreviation**: `MWMM`

---

## Edge Cases and Special Handling

### Mixed Scripts

Some institution names mix scripts (e.g., Latin brand names in Chinese text):

**Example**: 中国IBM研究院
- Transliterate Chinese: Zhongguo IBM Yanjiuyuan
- Keep "IBM" as-is (already Latin)
- Abbreviation: ZIY

### Transliteration Ambiguity

When multiple valid transliterations exist, prefer:
1. ISO standard spelling
2. Institution's own romanization (if consistent)
3. Most commonly used academic romanization

### Very Long Names

If abbreviation exceeds 10 characters after applying rules:
1. Truncate to 10 characters
2. Ensure truncation doesn't create ambiguous abbreviation
3. Document truncation in `ghcid.notes`

---

## Python Implementation Reference

For the complete Python implementation of transliteration functions, see:

- `.opencode/TRANSLITERATION_STANDARDS.md` - Full code with all language handlers
- `scripts/transliterate_emic_names.py` - Production script for batch transliteration

### Quick Reference Function

```python
from transliteration import transliterate_for_abbreviation

# Example usage for all supported languages
examples = {
    'ru': 'Российская государственная библиотека',
    'zh': '中国国家图书馆',
    'ja': '国立国会図書館',
    'ko': '국립중앙박물관',
    'ar': 'المكتبة الوطنية للمملكة المغربية',
    'he': 'הספרייה הלאומית',
    'hi': 'राष्ट्रीय अभिलेखागार',
    'el': 'Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη της Ελλάδας',
}

for lang, name in examples.items():
    latin = transliterate_for_abbreviation(name, lang)
    print(f'{lang}: {name}')
    print(f'    → {latin}')
```

---

## Validation Checklist

Before finalizing a transliterated abbreviation:

- [ ] Original emic name preserved in `custodian_name.emic_name`
- [ ] Language code stored in `custodian_name.name_language`
- [ ] Correct ISO standard applied for script
- [ ] Skip words removed (articles, prepositions)
- [ ] Diacritics normalized to ASCII
- [ ] Special characters removed
- [ ] Abbreviation ≤ 10 characters
- [ ] No conflicts with existing GHCIDs

---

## See Also

- `.opencode/TRANSLITERATION_STANDARDS.md` - Technical rules and Python code
- `.opencode/ABBREVIATION_SPECIAL_CHAR_RULE.md` - Character filtering rules
- `AGENTS.md` - Rule 12: Non-Latin Script Transliteration
- `docs/PERSISTENT_IDENTIFIERS.md` - GHCID specification

---

## Changelog

| Date | Change |
|------|--------|
| 2025-12-08 | Initial document created with 21 language examples |