APG-L Archives

Archiver > APG > 2003-12 > 1071088667


From: Joan Lowrey <>
Subject: Re: [APG] Italics for Foreign Languages & Comments/Discussion?
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2003 12:38:03 -0800
In-Reply-To: <30.4bf01983.2d08ca04@aol.com>


From The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed.:

DISTINCTIVE TREATMENT OF WORDS

Foreign Words
6.65 Isolated words and phrases in a foreign language may be set in
italics of they are likely to be unfamiliar to readers: [Three examples
follow.]
As with matter italicized for emphasis, a full sentence in a
language other than English is only occasionally set in italics, most
frequently when, as in the second example above, it is included in an
English sentence. A passage of two or more sentences in another language is
usually treated as a quotation and is not italicized (see 10.84).
__________________________

FOREIGN LANGUAGE QUOTATIONS

Original language or translation
10:85 ... In a scholarly work where there is a possibility that not all
readers will be able to grasp the original, both the original and a
translation may be given. In this case either the original is put in the
text and the translation in a note, or the translation is put in the text
and the original in a note. It is also acceptable to put both in the text.
If both versions are given in the text, whether run in or set off as block
quotations, the second version is usually set off in square brackets. When
the second version is given in a note, the square brackets are omitted. In
all cases, quotation marks, if appropriate, are used only to enclose the
first version.... In works where quotations are used for their content
alone, not for their style, only the English translation need appear, with
of course the proper attribution.

Hope this helps,
Joan Neumann Lowrey


At 02:12 PM 12/10/03 -0500, you wrote:
>A reader of one of my reports questioned my use of italics. The report was
>on a document in Italian and so I italicized the transcription in Italian
>(nearly a page typed). I also italicized my comments in a discussion
>section.
>They thought so much italicizing was difficult on the eye. I believe
>italicizing foreign language words is common practice and see that the
>appendix in the
>BCG manual has a box that says "comments identified by label and typeface".
>
>Any thoughts on italics? Was I using them correctly?
>
>Thanks. Dan
>(P.S. I was so glad to read that others are also challenged by timely filing
>and cluttered desks.)
>
>
>
>==== APG Mailing List ====
>The Association of Professional Genealogists
>http://www.apgen.org/publications/apg-l/index.html

This thread: