Latvian Style Guide
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Latvian Style Guide Published: June, 2017 Microsoft Latvian Style Guide Contents 1 About this style guide ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Recommended style reference ................................................................................................ 4 2 Microsoft voice ...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Choices that reflect Microsoft voice ...................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Addressing the user ............................................................................................................ 6 2.1.2 Avoid redundancy ................................................................................................................ 7 2.1.3 Avoid rhyming ....................................................................................................................... 8 2.1.4 Flexibility .................................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.5 Functional equivalence....................................................................................................... 9 2.1.6 Word choice ......................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.7 Word-to-word translation ............................................................................................... 15 2.1.8 Words and phrases to avoid .......................................................................................... 16 2.2 Sample Microsoft voice text ................................................................................................... 21 2.2.1 Address the user to take action .................................................................................... 21 2.2.2 Promote a feature .............................................................................................................. 22 2.2.3 Provide how-to guidelines .............................................................................................. 22 2.2.4 Explanatory text and support ........................................................................................ 23 3 Language-specific standards .......................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Grammar, syntax and orthographic standards ................................................................ 24 3.1.1 Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 24 3.1.2 Acronyms .............................................................................................................................. 26 3.1.3 Adjectives .............................................................................................................................. 27 3.1.4 Articles .................................................................................................................................... 28 3.1.5 Capitalization ....................................................................................................................... 29 3.1.6 Compounds .......................................................................................................................... 30 3.1.7 Conjunctions ........................................................................................................................ 31 3.1.8 Gender .................................................................................................................................... 31 3.1.9 Genitive .................................................................................................................................. 32 3.1.10 Grammatical form consistency ...................................................................................... 32 Microsoft Latvian Style Guide Page 2 of 82 3.1.11 Localizing colloquialism, idioms, and metaphors ................................................... 36 3.1.12 Modifiers ............................................................................................................................... 37 3.1.13 Nouns ..................................................................................................................................... 38 3.1.14 Numbers ................................................................................................................................ 40 3.1.15 Prepositions .......................................................................................................................... 40 3.1.16 Pronouns ............................................................................................................................... 42 3.1.17 Punctuation .......................................................................................................................... 44 3.1.18 Sentence fragments .......................................................................................................... 50 3.1.19 Subjunctive ........................................................................................................................... 51 3.1.20 Symbols & nonbreaking spaces ................................................................................... 51 3.1.21 Syntax ..................................................................................................................................... 52 3.1.22 Unlocalized items ............................................................................................................... 55 3.1.23 Verbs ....................................................................................................................................... 56 4 Localization considerations ............................................................................................................. 58 4.1 Accessibility .................................................................................................................................. 58 4.2 Applications, products, and features ................................................................................... 59 4.3 Product names and feature names ...................................................................................... 59 4.4 Geopolitical concerns ................................................................................................................ 61 4.5 Trademarks ................................................................................................................................... 62 4.6 Software considerations ........................................................................................................... 62 4.6.1 Keyboard shortcuts/аccess keys ................................................................................... 62 4.6.2 Arrow keys ............................................................................................................................ 63 4.6.3 Dialog boxes ........................................................................................................................ 65 4.6.4 Error messages .................................................................................................................... 69 4.6.5 Keys ......................................................................................................................................... 73 4.6.6 Numeric keypad ................................................................................................................. 75 4.6.7 Progress messages ............................................................................................................ 75 4.6.8 Shortcut keys ....................................................................................................................... 76 4.6.9 English pronunciation ....................................................................................................... 79 Microsoft Latvian Style Guide Page 3 of 82 1 About this style guide This style guide is intended for the localization professional working on localized products that run on a Microsoft platform. It’s not intended to be a comprehensive coverage of all localization practices, but to highlight areas where Microsoft has specific preferences or deviates from standard practices for Latvian localization. The primary goal of this guide is to help you understand and learn how to address all of the necessary linguistic and stylistic nuances of Latvian during the localization of your products and services. The style guide covers guidelines and recommendations for translating the Microsoft voice into Latvian including words, grammatical structures, the needs of the audience, and the intent of the text that are to be considered. Each of these areas is supplemented with samples. Other language considerations covered in this style guide are accessibility, trademarks, geopolitical concerns and specific software considerations. We welcome your feedback, questions and concerns regarding the style guide. Please send your feedback via Microsoft Language Portal. 1.1 Recommended style reference Unless this style guide or the Microsoft Language Portal provides alternative instructions, use the orthography, grammar, and terminology in the following publications: Normative references