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A word is "a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning." The ampersand is pronounced "ænd" and means "and." Therefore, "&" is a word. (We could get into a discussion about morphemes and graphemes, but I don't think doing so would add anything to the discussion).
Having said that, I have to add that I accept the current trend, which is not to use "&" in prose. My question had to do with using them in headers and TOCs, and I think that is what most people responded to.
Leonard
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+leonard -dot- porrello=soleratec -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Handy, David
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 1:46 AM
To: Kat Kuvinka; lemay -at- lauralemay -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Ampersands in TOC and headers?
Wow, you guys are cool with ampersands and contractions. I thought
they'd be shot down. Pesonally I avoid the former as they're not words -
okay in trade names but not in prose - and I avoid the latter as they're
colloquial. But it's eye-opening to see that other writes cut these some
slack.
Although I've no problem with ampersands in phrases where you might
expect them, like mergers & acquisitions and rock & roll. I'm surprised
too that /can't/ isn't flagged by translators as it closely remembles
/cant/. I guess the word cant is used rarely enough.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+dhandy=informatica -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of Kat Kuvinka
Sent: 10 February 2010 16:27
To: lemay -at- lauralemay -dot- com; techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: Ampersands in TOC and headers?
True, some contractions are easily understood and translated. Some are
not. I just trained myself to avoid them. I trained myself so well I do
not even use them in speech.
>
>
> On Feb 9, 2010, at 12:44 PM, Kat Kuvinka wrote:
> > Both should be avoided if you are localizing.
>
>
> In the 90's I wrote third-party technical books that were translated
> into somewhere north of 20 languages. Not a single translator had any
> problems at all with my liberal use of contractions. None.
>
> My overly long compound sentences were sometimes a problem. My
> sometimes strange and pop-culture-heavy sense of humor typically
> didn't work at all (translators substituted locally-appropriate
> examples and jokes with my blessing). The actual technology was
> occasionally difficult. But contractions were not an issue.
>
> I believe this to be an overcautious ban.
>
> Laura
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