Transliteration of Titles in Pre-Reform Orthography


Over the course of the early 20th century, several Slavic languages written in the Cyrillic script adopted orthographic reforms that govern their spelling conventions to this day. However, especially when one is cataloging older works, or reprints thereof, one is likely to encounter books written in earlier, or pre-reform, orthography. Catalogers should note that RDA and AACR2 differ substantially in their rules for dealing with titles written in pre-reform orthography.

RDA:

The general guidelines on recording variant titles for works (RDA 6.2.3.3) direct the cataloger to “record a variant title for the work when it is different from the title recorded as the preferred title. Alternative linguistic forms of a title are to be treated as variant titles per RDA 6.2.2.4.

For a work issued in pre-reform orthography, the title as given in pre-reform orthography is the preferred title and the form in modern orthography is the variant form. Thus, when cataloging an item issued in pre-reform orthography, transcribe the title exactly in accordance with the transcription conventions for the pre-reform orthography of the language in question. Make a variant access point for the title as written in the modern, reformed orthography of the language in question.

Example (Russian)

The item is a monograph. Modern spelling is given as a variant title. Note that ь and word-final ъ are not omitted in transliteration.

  • AUTHOR

    • Botkine, Tatiana.

  • TITLE

    • Воспоминанія о царской семьѣ и ея жизни до и послѣ революціи / Татьяна Мельникъ (рожденная Боткина).

    • Vospominanīi︠a︡ o t︠s︡arskoĭ semʹi︠e︡ i ei︠a︡ zhizni do i posli︠e︡ revoli︠u︡t︠s︡īi / ǂc Tatʹi︠a︡na Melʹnik″ (rozhdennai︠a︡ Botkina).

  • VARIANT TITLE

    • Воспоминания о царской семье и ее жизни до и после революции

    • Vospominanii︠a︡ o t︠s︡arskoĭ semʹe i ee zhizni do i posle revoli︠u︡t︠s︡ii


Example (Bulgarian)

  • AUTHOR

    • Ivanov, Ĭordan, 1872-1947.

  • TITLE

    • Българетѣ въ Македония : издирвания и документи за тѣхното потекло, езикъ и народность, съ етнографска карта и статистика / отъ Йорданъ Ивановъ.

    • Bŭlgareti︠e︡ v″ Makedonii︠a︡ : izdirvanii︠a︡ i dokumenti za ti︠e︡khnoto poteklo, ezik″ i narodnostʹ, s″ etnografska karta i statistika / ot″ Ĭordan″ Ivanov″.

  • VARIANT TITLE

    • Българите в Македония

    • Bŭlgarite v Makedonii︠a︡


AACR2:

When cataloging an item issued in old orthography, transcribe the title exactly as it appears with regard to orthography. Make an added title entry for the modern spelling, following the rules for the specific format. For example, for monographs, make a uniform title (130, 240) for the modern spelling (LCRI 25.3A), unless one of the special conditions (see below) applies.

Example (Russian)

The item is a monograph. The modern spelling is given as a uniform title.

  • AUTHOR

    • Botkine, Tatiana.

  • UNIFORM TITLE

    • Воспоминания о царской семье и ее жизни до и после революции

    • Vospominanii︠a︡ o t︠s︡arskoĭ sem′e i ee zhizni do i posle revoli︠u︡t︠s︡ii

  • TITLE

    • Воспоминанія о царской семьѣ и ея жизни до и послѣ революціи / Татьяна Мельникъ (рожденная Боткина).

    • Vospominanīi︠a︡ o t︠s︡arskoĭ sem′i︠e︡ i ei︠a︡ zhizni do i posli︠e︡ revoli︠u︡t︠s︡īi / Tat′i︠a︡na Mel′nik (rozhdennai︠a︡ Botkina).


Example (Bulgarian)

The item is a monograph. The modern spelling is given as a uniform title.

  • AUTHOR

    • Ivanov, Ĭordan, 1872-1947.

  • UNIFORM TITLE

    • Българите в Македония

    • Bŭlgarite v Makedonii︠a︡

  • TITLE

    • Българетѣ въ Македония : издирвания и документи за тѣхното потекло, езикъ и народность, съ етнографска карта и статистика / отъ Йорданъ Ивановъ.

    • Bŭlgareti︠e︡ v Makedonii︠a︡ : izdirvanii︠a︡ i dokumenti za ti︠e︡khnoto poteklo, ezik i narodnost, s etnografska karta i statistika / ot Ĭordan Ivanov.


Special Conditions:

1) If a uniform title must be created as a result of other rules (e.g. for translations, collective titles, etc.), make a title entry (i.e., a varying form of title in a 246 field) for the modern spelling.

Example (Russian)

The item is a monograph. The modern spelling is given as varying form of title in a 246 field because collective title “Poems. Selections” is present.

  • AUTHOR

    • Nekrasov, Nikolaĭ Alekseevich, 1821-1877.

  • UNIFORM TITLE

    • Poems. Selections

  • TITLE

    • Послѣднія пѣсни : стихотворенія / Н. Некрасова.

    • Posli︠e︡dnīi︠a︡ pi︠e︡sni : stikhotvorenīi︠a︡ / N. Nekrasova

  • VARYING FORM OF TITLE

    • Последние песни : стихотворения

    • Poslednie pesni : stikhotvorenii︠a︡

2) If the modern spelling romanization would normalize to the same string as the title proper, a uniform title may not be appropriate (LCRI 25.1). The modern spelling is given as a varying form of title (in a 246 field).

Example (Russian)

The item is a monograph. The modern spelling is given as a varying form of title in a 246 field, because its spelling romanization normalizes to the same string as the title proper.

  • AUTHOR

    • Moskvine, M., 1905 or 6-

  • TITLE

    • Хожденiе по вузамъ : воспоминанiя комсомольца / М. Москвинъ.

    • Khozhdenīe po vuzam″ : ǂb vospominanīi︠a︡ komsomolʹt︠s︡a / M. Moskvin″.

  • VARYING FORM OF TITLE

    • Хождение по вузам : воспоминания комсомольца

    • Khozhdenie po vuzam : vospominanii︠a︡ komsomol′t︠s︡a


For related information, see the Pre-Reform Russian Orthography Cheat Sheet.

See also:

Transliteration of the Hard Sign "ъ” (tverdyi znak)


Revised: Sept. 9, 2015