[Lingtyp] Why cite non-Latin-script literature ONLY in Latin script?

Joo, Ian joo at shh.mpg.de
Tue Mar 31 07:26:45 UTC 2020


Dear Sebastian,

The APA style requires that it should be only written in Latin script:
https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/apa6/works-in-non-English-scripts
According to this webpage,

"If you use the original version of a non-English work, cite the original version. Non-Latin alphabets are not used in the reference list in APA Style, so the title needs to be transliterated (that is, converted to the alphabet you are using to write a paper), and then followed by an English translation, in brackets."

Ian

-----Original Message-----
From: Lingtyp <lingtyp-bounces at listserv.linguistlist.org> On Behalf Of Sebastian Nordhoff
Sent: Tuesday, 31 March 2020 16:15
To: lingtyp at listserv.linguistlist.org
Subject: Re: [Lingtyp] Why cite non-Latin-script literature ONLY in Latin script?



On 3/31/20 9:10 AM, Joo, Ian wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> I would like to ask a question to everybody:
> 
> When citing literature written in non-Latin script, why do some 
> editors require it to be cited ONLY in Latin script?

Hi Ian,
could you give examples of editors/publishers who require this?
Best wishes
Sebastian

> 
> For example, this is how I would cite a Chinese book, when writing an 
> article in English:
> 
> Xùliàn旭练Lǐ李./Láiyǔ yánjiū/倈语硏究. Zhōngguó xīn fāxiàn yǔyán yánjiū
> cóngshū中国新发现语言研究丛书. Zhōngyāng mínzú dàxué chūbǎnshè中央民族大
> 学出版社, Běijīng北京
> 
> As you can see, in both the original script (Chinese) and Latin script. 
> But some editors require it to be:
> 
> Xùliàn Lǐ. /Láiyǔ yánjiū/. Zhōngguó xīn fāxiàn yǔyán yánjiū cóngshū. 
> Zhōngyāng mínzú dàxué chūbǎnshè, Běijīng.
> 
> But why would we not write the original script and ONLY write in Latin 
> script?
> 
> The point of citing literature is to enable the reader to go find and 
> consult it themself.
> 
> But when the author’s name is written as /Xùliàn Lǐ/, I have no idea 
> how that would be written in Chinese, thus making it more difficult to 
> find the literature when needed.
> 
> So what is the logical purpose of requiring the article to be cited 
> ONLY in Latin script?
> 
> The only logical reason I can think of is that it saves some space – ca. 
> one line per citation. But is that a good enough reason to make things 
> harder for those actually wanting to find and read the cited work?
> 
> I would like to hear your opinion on this matter.
> 
> (I’m asking this question on Lingtyp mailing list, because our 
> subfield makes it necessary for some of us to make extensive use of 
> non-Latin-script literature.)
> 
>  From Daejeon,
> 
> Ian
> 
> 
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