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Archiver > TMG > 1999-05 > 0927129892


From: Michel Vuijlsteke <<A HREF="mailto:"></A>>
Subject: TMG-L: Multi-language data -- any opinions?
Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 18:04:52 +0200


Hi.

I don't know if this is a problem that a lot people have, but it's getting
to be *very* annoying for me. Simply put: I don't know what language to use,
and I'd welcome any strategies people in comparable situations use.

A couple of examples of the kind of things I run into:

1.place names:
not only do they change over time, but they can also change depending on the
language the source I refer to was written in.
When I have a source that mentions "maison sise hors la porte d'anvers", do
I translate that to English or do I enter it as I found it? If the latter,
how can I link that to a later, more precise address?
On a related note: how do I deal with the fact that one and the same place
might during one person's lifetime change names, and even change countries?
Do I record that as an address change? I then get things like
"As of 1789 his address was Donkersteeg 5, Gent, Vlaanderen. As of 1792 his
address was Rue du Paradis 7, Gand, departement de la Lys, France. As of
1815, his address was Donkersteeg 7, Gent, Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. As of
1835, his address was Rue du Paradis 9, Gand, Flandre Orientale, Belgique.
As of 1850, his address was Donkersteeg 13, Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgi&euml;."


2. miscellaneous event, notes, memos etc.
I have family members that speak Russian, English, French, Dutch, Yiddish,
Hebrew, ...
When I record something, in what language do I record it? One simple
example: my g-grandmother died on April 6th 1946. Her obituary specifies
that she died "na eene kortstondige onpasselijkheid".
How do I enter that in TMG? As it is now, I have it as a memo in the Death
tag. When I generate a narrative report it stands out like a sore toe: "She
died on 6 Apr 1946 in Aalter at age 68; na eene kortstondige
onpasselijkheid".


Any ideas anyone?


- ---
Michel Vuijlsteke
Netpoint NV

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