I am going through the wills I have done and want to double check that I am transcribing certain things correctly. All help appreciated and
apologies if things have already been mentioned but how are we transcribing:
viz and etc? Generally, above viz, there is an indication it is a contraction so I have been putting videlicet but if there doesn’t seem to be a mark next to it ….? ‘Etc’ tends to be abreviated and is a particular shape so I have kept it as ‘etc’ rather than ‘et cetera’ Is this ok?
When there is a double ii at the end of Latin words eg Commissarii the second ‘ i’ I have transcribed as a j as, even though the second i is a straight line, it extends below the writing line. Is this right?
Thanks
Good questions! I haven't seen marks to indicate that I should expand any contractions, but I will go back and check. I have certainly seen "&c" for etc and I transcribed it as it is.
With the double i Latin words, I have transcribed as "ij" because that's what it looks like.
We need some "official" instructions on these once Emily is back.
Some of this was mentioned in the meeting we had, but it would be helpful if it could be added as instructions to help remind us. I think the original instructions we add were to expand abbreviated words where indicated by a superscript letter etc. I did ask whether this applied to words normally abbreviated but the answer was a bit vague. From memory I asked about et cetera, meaning when 'etc.' but I think Emily referred to &c - I didn't mean &c to etc but etc. to et cetera. I am expanding viz with a superscript t to videlicet, as per original instructions to expand abbrevations shown to be such (and not proper names). I'm sure Emily did mention transcribing 'ii' that looks like 'ij' as 'ij'.
Thanks to all for logging these questions here (and please do keep raising issues). I've added them to my list and will be sure to ask Emily to respond on her return from leave.
Thank you Pauline, Tony, and Teresa for these questions and responses. Yes in general please do expand contractions (the only ones not to be expanded are names of people and places as these can occasionally be confused for other similar names). But equally please don't worry too much about inconsistencies here - it's not a problem if &c is kept as &c or indeed etc is kept as etc. These cases are 'specific' enough that they won't affect how the HTR recognises most words.
With ij - yes, if it looks like a 'j' transcribe it as such, but equally it's not a problem if 'i' is used. 'i' and 'j' can be read similarly by machines and humans alike, so it won't greatly affect the transcriptions that the HTR produces.