On preparing the Hungarian version of the UNGEGN document entitled “Glossary of Terms for the Standardization of Geographical Names”

Abstract

On preparing the Hungarian version of the UNGEGN document entitled “Glossary of Terms for the Standardization of Geographical Names”   This paper gives a general overview of the reasons for, and the conditions and methods of preparing the Hungarian version of the UNGEGN document entitled “Glossary of Terms for the Standardization of Geographical Names” (including also its “Addendum”). The project, carried out at Károli Gáspár University in the spring of 2013 with the assistance of students majoring in Terminology, can be considered a continuation of the work, initiated by Ervin Földi twenty years ago, to establish and regularly update the Hungarian terminology of geographical names standardization. The paper discusses relevant methodological problems such as: how to decide whether terms of Hungarian origin or terms of international background should be adopted in Hungarian; how to identify or create English–Hungarian term equivalences; how to treat term gaps and term changes appropriately; how to word the Hungarian definitions; how to select the illustrative examples; and how to formulate and publish the proofread Hungarian version of the document on terms of geographical names standardization.