Project:Phrasebook

The phrasebook is a set of criteria for inclusion of The Languages of David J. Peterson entries, based on utility, simplicity and commonality. The phrasebook also refers to any set of terms that meet these criteria.

Categorization

The phrasebook is intended to aid in finding common phrases related to certain key themes in various languages. Very common words should be added, in addition to full phrases that fall into the following categories (the specific code you use is presented after each category name):

• Basic: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Basic}} The Basic category will be used to collect basic word groups that browsers might be interested in (Animals, Family Members, Body Parts, etc.).
• Communication: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Communication}} Phrases having to do with speaking a language, e.g. "Do you speak x language?", "How do you say…?", etc.
• Emergencies: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Emergencies}} Things like "Help!" and "Fire!"
• Ethnicity: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Ethnicity}} This will have different uses depending on the culture associated with the language. In the Game of Thrones universe, for example, it might have phrases like, "Are you Dothraki?", "I am Lorathi", etc.
• Family: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Family}} Perhaps something like, "Do you have any siblings?" or "Who is your daddy and what does he do?"
• Farewells: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Farewells}} Words for "goodbye" and other things said when leaving.
• Festivities: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Festivities}} Things like "happy birthday" or "congratulations" or "happy Arbor Day".
• Food and Drink: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Food and drink}} Phrases like "I don't eat meat" or "May I see the menu?"
• Greetings: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Greetings}} Phrases like "hello" or "welcome".
• Health: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Health}} Anything from "I'm sick" to "How are you feeling?" to "I have a fever", etc.
• Love: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Love}} Phrases like "I love you" and similar expressions of affections.
• Money: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Money}} Transactional phrases like "How much is that?" or "I can't afford that".
• Needs: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Needs}} I don't know. Things you need? I didn't make up these categories.
• Quotes: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Quotes}} These will be for quotes from the various shows and movies the language is used in.
• Religion: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Religion}} This will be religious language specifically related to the invented culture which uses the language in question. For example, in the Game of Thrones universe, something like a translation of "Lord of Light" might be in this category.
• Sex: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Sex}} Phrases related to or used to solicit sexual intercourse.
• Time: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Time}} Phrases like "What time is it?" and "How long will this take?", etc.
• Travel: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Travel}} Phrases like "Where is the nearest inn?" or even "Where is the bathroom?"
• Weather: {{phrasebook|LANGCODE|Weather}} Anything related to weather, e.g. "It's raining", "It's cold", "It's hot out", etc.

Treatment

The phrasebook is made up of entries in the main namespace for common phrases in various languages, even if these phrases are semantic sums of parts such as "I love you", "what is your name?" and "how much is it?".

For example, I love you is a very common phrase in English. Although entirely comprehensible from the sum of its parts, putting "I love you" in the phrasebook allows the user to look up the translation into many languages.

Title

Subject and object

For simplicity reasons, when a grammatical subject is necessary for a phrasebook entry, it is the speaker; similarly, when a grammatical object is necessary, it is the interlocutor.

For example, "I love you" is a proper phrasebook entry; on the other hand, "he loves her", "she loves me" and "they love everybody" are not.

Note: Some exceptions, such as "he's unconscious", may be kept, depending on the context.

Formality

When possible, orders and requests should always be accompanied by please, or its foreign language counterparts, in phrasebook entries.

Orthography

Abbreviations (e.g. I'm = I am) are accepted if they are common, e.g. I'm hungry.

Numbers must be written as words, e.g. I'm twenty years old, not "I'm 20 years old"; but quotations with a number are sufficient for a phrasebook entry to merit inclusion.

Incomplete sentences

While most phrasebook titles are related to complete sentences such as I love you and I'm hungry, there are some concepts which may be expanded through various possibilities, like I'm ... year(s) old for any age as opposed to specific ages. Other examples are how do you say...in English and my name is, which also serve as guides to how different words could fit into these phrases.

Scope

The specific groups of entries that may or may not be added into the The Languages of David J. Peterson phrasebook are still subject of controversy. Categories of phrasebook entries to be accepted in English as well as other languages include:

1. Basic etiquette.

   Examples: thank you very much, excuse me, I'm sorry.

2. Greetings.

   Examples: hello, good evening, how are you?.

3. Bodily states.

   Examples: I'm hungry, I'm tired, I'm bleeding, I'm sick.

4. Bodily characteristics.

   Examples: I'm allergic to aspirin, I'm blind.

5. Personal information.

   Examples: I'm married, are you married?, do you have children?, what is your phone number?.

6. Communication.

   Examples: please say that again, please speak more slowly, please repeat after me.

7. Proficiency in specific languages.

   Examples: I don't speak English, do you speak English?.

   Treatment: These phrases are accepted when expressing proficiency in common languages such as English, Spanish, Portuguese and German. Rare or extinct languages such as Middle French, Sogdian and Suppyire are not accepted.

8. Commerce.

   Examples: do you accept credit cards?, how much is it?

9. Places and directions.

   Examples: how do I get to the airport?, where does this bus go?, please turn right.

10. Warnings.

    Examples: caution – slippery when wet, high voltage, please keep out!

Organization

Sets of phrasebook entries may be linked in appendices, usually organized by language or by subject; there is also the more extreme suggestion of moving all phrasebook contents from entries into appendices.

A phrasebook entry should be categorized in the related phrasebook category of its language: Category:High Valyrian phrasebook, Category:Yulish phrasebook and so on. There are also subdivisions such as Category:High Valyrian phrasebook/Basic.