glam/docs/TRANSLITERATION_CONVENTIONS.md

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)

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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

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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

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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'

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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)

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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

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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

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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.)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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:

   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
   

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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

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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

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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

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}')

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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

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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

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Changelog

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