Help:Foreign languages

This page describes how foreign languages are supported in MEpedia.

Language settings

There are two language settings in MEpedia:

• The reader's preferred language
• The page's content language

Changing the reader's preferred language changes the interface language.

Approach to the content localization

• MEpedia's default language is English.
• Every original page in English may have localized versions. Categorize a page as Multiligual page to enable localization interface.
• Upon saving, the Edit with form link will appear in page tools of the original page.
• Click Edit with form and specify the name of the localized page in one of the supported languages :
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Français
  • Svenska
• Upon saving, you will be given the panel with the links to the localized versions.
• The localized versions will be created in the dedicated namespaces.
• The corresponding content language will be set automatically.
• Edit localized versions in their respective languages like any other page.
• Opening the localized page will override the interface language and set it to the language of the page content.
• The listing of all localized pages for a given language is available through the namespace selector on Special:AllPages.
• To link pages inline use [[{LANGCODE}:{LOCALIZED_PAGENAME}|{LINKTEXT}]] (e.g. [[sv:Kräkning|kräkning]] will result in kräkning).
• The localized pages use the natural language names, so you don't need to set {{DISPLAYTITLE: ...}} just to translate the original title.

Tips/caution regarding automated translation

These days, short messages can be translated using automated translators, such as https://translatr.varunmalhotra.xyz/ or Google Translate. However, some caution is warranted, and some human work will be needed to ensure that the translation is indeed accurate. Here are some tips to improve automated translation:

1. Start with the simplest possible English phrasing. (Subject-verb-object)
2. Use the simplest, clearest, but most precise English words possible.
3. Don't use any English words that have multiple meanings. (e.g. don't use the word "clean-up", which has multiple meanings)
4. Don't use any English idioms, slang, or metaphors.
5. Avoid technical terms, such as "Myalgic Encephalomyelitis", unless you are sure of the translation.
6. After translating, translate it back into English to make sure the translation actually says what you think it says! If it doesn't, there may be an error in either the translation or the back-translation.

Translating the user interface

MEpedia's user interface stores its text in messages stored in the "MediaWiki:" namespace. Each message is translated into foreign languages. If you notice a specific piece of the user interface that needs to be translated into a specific foreign language, you can:

1. Find the "MediaWiki:" page that stores that user interface message. In your browser's address bar, add ?uselang=qqx to the end of the URL. This should show the names of the "MediaWiki:" pages that correspond to each part of the user interface. For example, the text for the "Main page" link at the top of the lefthand sidebar is stored in the "MediaWiki:mainpage-description" page.
2. Translate the "MediaWiki:" page into the specific foreign language and store that translation in a page named after the "MediaWiki:" page, but with "/" and the language code at the end of the page name. For example, the French translation of "MediaWiki:mainpage-description" should be stored in "MediaWiki:mainpage-description/fr". Note that only MEpedia administrators can create new "MediaWiki:" pages, so you will have to ask an administrator to create the page for you.
3. Record your translation in the user interface message table at MEpedia:User interface translation. This table is designed to keep track of which user interface messages have been translated into which languages.

For more information, see MEpedia:User interface translation.

Translating "Template:" pages

See MEpedia:Template translation.

Priority languages

See Priority languages.

See also

• Priority languages
• MEpedia:Language codes
• MEpedia:User interface translation
• MEpedia:Template translation