Numbers - best in Arabic Script or kept in English? Thread poster: twl
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twl
Local time: 14:26
English to Arabic
+ ...
Hi everyone
I have a question regarding numbers in Arabic.
I am a Project Manager and we are doing a project from English into Arabic.
The question of numbering has come up.
Please bear in mind I do not speak Arabic, so my apologies if anything is obvious.
We have a sequence of paragraphs numbered:
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
2
2.1
3
3.1
... See more Hi everyone
I have a question regarding numbers in Arabic.
I am a Project Manager and we are doing a project from English into Arabic.
The question of numbering has come up.
Please bear in mind I do not speak Arabic, so my apologies if anything is obvious.
We have a sequence of paragraphs numbered:
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
2
2.1
3
3.1
3.2
etc.
the translations were either kept as the original
1
1.1
1.2
etc
or reversed with a dash
1
2-1
3-1
2
1-2
2-2
3
1-3
2-3
etc
or put into full Arabic script.
What is the correct method?
Is it best to "localize" all numbers into Arabic script? (except product names with numbers but including phone numbers)
All advice welcome We need to be able to advise our client.
I look forward to your knowledgeable replies. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Ghina
United States
Local time: 09:26
English to Arabic
| Keep the original format | Aug 12, 2009 |
I'd say keep the original format, because reversing the numbers will lead to much confusion.
| | | | Samir Sami
Qatar
Local time: 16:26
Arabic to English
+ ...
| Keep them as formatted by Word | Aug 12, 2009 |
Whatever the formatting was (in the original), I believe the reader (Arab or English) would understand the numbering if kept in the original format, especially if we are talking about a report here.
Arab readers are quite familiar with such numbering (1.2, 1.3). Indeed, I can say I find it in most reports or books here in the market. Dashing the numbers may reverse (harden) the readability. So leaving the Word numbering would do the trick, and I believe your audience would not be c... See more Whatever the formatting was (in the original), I believe the reader (Arab or English) would understand the numbering if kept in the original format, especially if we are talking about a report here.
Arab readers are quite familiar with such numbering (1.2, 1.3). Indeed, I can say I find it in most reports or books here in the market. Dashing the numbers may reverse (harden) the readability. So leaving the Word numbering would do the trick, and I believe your audience would not be confused at all. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | reversed with a dash, using Arabic script | Aug 13, 2009 |
since the whole text is read from right to left, it is just logical that paragraph numbers should follow the same order, I mean
1
2-1
3-1
... See more since the whole text is read from right to left, it is just logical that paragraph numbers should follow the same order, I mean
1
2-1
3-1
2
1-2
2-2
3
1-3
2-3
instead of
1
1.1
1.2
1.3
2
2.1
3
3.1
3.2
I find the second way confusing, especially when the dot is transformed into a decimal point in Arabic ▲ Collapse
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twl
Local time: 14:26
English to Arabic
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TOPIC STARTER
Many thanks for your replies so far. I must have consulted around 20 Arabic translators regarding this topic yesterday.
I received many different answers, which means that there does not seem to be a conclusive answer to this puzzle!
I heard that in parts of Arabic speaking Africa they will not understand the "Hindi" script, but some other countries in the Middle East prefer the numbers in the same script.
All answers are very much appreciated and I think the g... See more Many thanks for your replies so far. I must have consulted around 20 Arabic translators regarding this topic yesterday.
I received many different answers, which means that there does not seem to be a conclusive answer to this puzzle!
I heard that in parts of Arabic speaking Africa they will not understand the "Hindi" script, but some other countries in the Middle East prefer the numbers in the same script.
All answers are very much appreciated and I think the general conclusion is the client preference (if there is one) and to keep the "English" script for numbers when used in "professional" texts.
Reversing the numbers again seems to be preferential - some read numbers as "words" so would not flip from right to left, others found this disrupted the flow.
If anyone knows of a convention or a dictionary that states a rule for this, we would very much appreciate it! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | | translatol
Local time: 14:26
Spanish to English
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Dear twl,
It should be clear by now that there IS no general rule, so it's no use depending on a reference work to provide you with one.
Arabic is so widely used in the world that different norms have developed in different places and for different purposes, not to speak of the influence of the other languages like English or French with which it has been in contact. Therefore any of the answers given here is valid up to a point. But you have to decide according to what... See more Dear twl,
It should be clear by now that there IS no general rule, so it's no use depending on a reference work to provide you with one.
Arabic is so widely used in the world that different norms have developed in different places and for different purposes, not to speak of the influence of the other languages like English or French with which it has been in contact. Therefore any of the answers given here is valid up to a point. But you have to decide according to what your client is used to, what sort of document it is, what country the translation is for, etc.
If this bugs you, consider English. I have to write all the dates in my English translations differently according to whether the client is European or American, and whether they are in a legal document, a piece of computer software, etc. And try to find a cast-iron universal rule about whether to write English numbers in words or as digits.
"Variety is the spice of language!" ▲ Collapse
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I prefer keeping it as is in English for easy reference.
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twl
Local time: 14:26
English to Arabic
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER
many thanks to all of you who have participated on this topic. I am now more aware of the issues regarding translation of numbers into Arabic and the many options available.
With this job in particular we settled on numbers in English script which were then reversed, this was deemed to be the most understandable of all the options for the readership involved.
1
1-1
2-1
3-1 etc.
Although I'll be certain to ask client preferences and regional di... See more many thanks to all of you who have participated on this topic. I am now more aware of the issues regarding translation of numbers into Arabic and the many options available.
With this job in particular we settled on numbers in English script which were then reversed, this was deemed to be the most understandable of all the options for the readership involved.
1
1-1
2-1
3-1 etc.
Although I'll be certain to ask client preferences and regional differences for the next job! ▲ Collapse
| | | | libhf
United States
Local time: 09:26
English to Arabic
+ ...
| Technical considerations regarding client preferences | Sep 2, 2009 |
Sorry for the late comment.
If the client prefers Hindi digits and the interface is a web interface, and not MS Word, the only system under which this can be seamlessly done is under a Mac system. In Windows, you would have to use the Keymap to input Hindi numbers and for them to be displayed as such in the browsers.
Hikmat
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