[DCRM-L] Confused by transcription of i/j and u/v

[Deborah J. Leslie]

Dear Ted,

You have interpreted the instructions correctly. Good work!

There are three categories only of "typeface" in latin alphabets in this context: roman, italic, and gothic. Instances of upper- or lower-case do not change their basic typeface category.

My steps for transcribing I V i j u v:


1.      Do I need to convert case according to AACR2 Appendix A? No? Transcribe letter and case as it appears (keeping in mind the tricky circumstances of upper-case gothic)

2.     If I do need to convert the case of an I, V, i, j, u, or v: determine the typeface, function, and position of letter to be transcribed

*        is the letter in roman, italic, or gothic?

*        does the letter function as a consonant or a vowel?

*        is it positioned in the initial, medial, or final position of the word?

3.     Then I find usage in the text usage of that letter in the same typeface, function, and position in the case in which I must render it.

*        Most conversion involves transcribing 'V' to either 'u' or 'v'

*        Most of the time, as Ted mentions in his book, 'v' is used in the initial position, while 'u' is used elsewhere, regardless of whether the V v u is functioning as a consonant or vowell. English examples: vsury, nauigation

*        A good deal of the time, the usage of the letter in the text in the same typeface, function, and position can be found on the title page itself, or within the preliminaries. If found, run with it: don't go looking for confirmation elsewhere in the text.

*        'ii' or 'ij'-frequently needed to transcribe place names in Latin--can be challenging to find in the text. Some catalogers in the old days (I'm looking at myself) have been known to spend 30 or 40 minutes trying to find the printer's usage of ii or ij in the text

*        Now, I have a rule of thumb for myself and the catalogers' I supervise: If after 5 minutes, I haven't found the corresponding usage, I go to the table.

*        This happens in even less than 5 minutes when cataloging something common in Italian imprints: the title page is in roman, but the text is entirely in italic. If the printer's roman usage cannot be found on the title page, then you can't use the italic text to verify it-you must go directly to the table.


Happy Transcribing!

Deborah J. Leslie, M.A., M.L.S. | Head of Cataloging, Folger Shakespeare Library
djleslie at folger.edu<mailto:djleslie at folger.edu> | 202.675-0369 | www.folger.edu




From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of Ted P Gemberling
Sent: Thursday, 15 November, 2012 15:55
To: 'DCRM Revision Group List'
Subject: [DCRM-L] Confused by transcription of i/j and u/v

I find this a difficult part of the DRBM(b) instructions to understand. In particular, I don't understand the example on p. 35 (rule 0G2.2). The rule says "follow the pattern of usage in the publication being described." For instructions on how to do so, it says to consult Appendix G.4. But G.4.2 says examine the usage in each typeface in the book. Maybe I'm confused about how to know when one typeface ends and another begins. Are all the letters in the "source" in 0G2.2 roman, whether capitalized or not? The comment says that the body of the book uses u where V is used in the first few words of the title, so all the V's are converted to u's in transcription. So if the book is all in roman type, then the majority determines which to use?

I am cataloging a book that has been transcribed in two different ways. Some catalogers have used: Gvlielmi Ballonii ... Consiliorvm medicinalivm libri II. Others, Gulielmi Ballonii ... Consiliorum medicinalium libri II. Now, the fact is that those first words of the title page are in all caps and only v is used. But in the following lower case lettering, v is used in initial position and u everywhere else. So am I right to assume that's the pattern of usage I should follow? I've also noticed the printer used 'ij' at the end of words, so I'm guessing the title page should be transcribed:

Gulielmi Ballonij ... Consiliorum medicinalium libri II

(I will remove the sign of omission: I know we're not supposed to delete any of the first five words of a title.)

Maybe I answered my own questions, but it would be helpful if someone would confirm whether I understood those things correctly.

Thanks,
Ted Gemberling
UAB Lister Hill Library
(205)934-2461

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