Malayalam Style Guide

Contents
What's New? ................................................................................................................................................. 4
New Topics ................................................................................................................................................ 4
Updated Topics .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................... 5
About This Style Guide .............................................................................................................................. 5
Scope of This Document ........................................................................................................................... 5
Style Guide Conventions ........................................................................................................................... 5
Sample Text ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Recommended Reference Material ........................................................................................................... 7
Normative References ............................................................................................................................ 7
Contemporary Language reference ....................................................................................................... 7
Informative References .......................................................................................................................... 8

Language Specific Conventions ................................................................................................................... 9

Country/Region Standards ........................................................................................................................ 9
Characters .............................................................................................................................................. 9
Date ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Time...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Numbers ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Sorting .................................................................................................................................................. 17
Geopolitical Concerns .............................................................................................................................. 32
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions ...................................................................................... 33
Adjectives ............................................................................................................................................. 33
Articles .................................................................................................................................................. 33
Capitalization ........................................................................................................................................ 35
Compounds .......................................................................................................................................... 35
Gender .................................................................................................................................................. 36
Genitive ................................................................................................................................................ 36
Modifiers ............................................................................................................................................... 37
Nouns ................................................................................................................................................... 37
Prepositions .......................................................................................................................................... 38
Pronouns .............................................................................................................................................. 40
Punctuation........................................................................................................................................... 41
Singular & Plural ................................................................................................................................... 44
Split Infinitive ........................................................................................................................................ 44
Subjunctive ........................................................................................................................................... 44
Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces ........................................................................................................ 44
Syntax................................................................................................................................................... 45
 Verbs .................................................................................................................................................... 45
Word Order ........................................................................................................................................... 46
Style and Tone Considerations................................................................................................................ 46
Audience............................................................................................................................................... 46
Style ...................................................................................................................................................... 46
Tone ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
Voice ..................................................................................................................................................... 47

Localization Guidelines ............................................................................................................................... 48

General Considerations ........................................................................................................................... 48
Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................ 48
Accessibility .......................................................................................................................................... 49
Acronyms.............................................................................................................................................. 49
Applications, Products, and Features .................................................................................................. 51
Frequent Errors .................................................................................................................................... 52
Glossaries............................................................................................................................................. 52
Fictitious Information ............................................................................................................................ 52
Recurring Patterns ............................................................................................................................... 52
Standardized Translations.................................................................................................................... 52
Unlocalized Items ................................................................................................................................. 53
Using the Word Microsoft ..................................................................................................................... 65
Software Considerations .......................................................................................................................... 65
User Interface ....................................................................................................................................... 66
Messages ............................................................................................................................................. 67
Keys ...................................................................................................................................................... 72
Document Translation Considerations .................................................................................................... 78
Titles ..................................................................................................................................................... 78
Copyright .............................................................................................................................................. 79
What's New?
Last Updated: February 2011

New Topics
n/a

Updated Topics
n/a

4
Introduction
This Style Guide went through major revision in February 2011 in order to remove outdated and unnecessary
content. It contains information pertaining to all Microsoft products and services.

About This Style Guide

The purpose of this Style Guide is to provide everybody involved in the localization of Malayalam Microsoft
products with Microsoft-specific linguistic guidelines and standard conventions that differ from or are more
prescriptive than those found in language reference materials. These conventions have been adopted after
considering context based on various needs, but above all, they are easy to follow and applicable for all types of
software to be localized.

The Style Guide covers the areas of formatting, grammatical conventions, as well as stylistic criteria. It also
presents the reader with a general idea of the reasoning behind the conventions. The present Style Guide is a
revision of our previous Style Guide version with the intention of making it more standardized, more structured,
and easier to use as a reference. As language technical writing is evolving, we have taken that aspect at the time
of revision of this Style Guide.

The guidelines and conventions presented in this Style Guide are intended to help you localize Microsoft products
and materials. We welcome your feedback, questions and concerns regarding the Style Guide. You can send us
your feedback via the Microsoft Language Portal feedback page.

Scope of This Document

This Style Guide is intended for the localization professional working on Microsoft products. It contains highlight
areas where Microsoft has preference or deviates from standard practices for Malayalam localization. It is not
intended to be a comprehensive coverage of all localization practices, still this Style Guide can be considered as
a contribution to the entire localization field as it is supposed to be a good reference for the localization as a whole
with specific focus on Microsoft products and its localization.

Style Guide Conventions

In this document, a plus sign (+) before a translation example means that this is the recommended correct
translation. A minus sign (-) is used for incorrect translation examples.
In Microsoft localization context, the word term is used in a slightly untraditional sense, meaning the same as e.g.
a segment in CAT (Computer aided translation) tools like Trados. The distinguishing feature of a term here is that
it is translated as one unit; it may be a traditional term (as used in terminology), a phrase, a sentence, or a
paragraph.

5
This Style Guide has so many examples for translations, but you are advised not to follow them blindly. Context,
logic, space limitation and other relevant aspects should be taken into consideration when you do a translation.
Moreover, for general translation, you can use your freedom to give a flow to the language.

References to interface elements really only refer to translatable texts associated with those interface elements.
Example translations in this document are only intended to illustrate the point in question. They are not a source
of approved terminology. Always check for approved translation in the Microsoft terminology database.

Sample Text

() 6113
. 754
. .

: .
. : 7200 - 19300

(01-10-2010-): 1.60 % /
(//55 % ).
60 % (,
) (//
55 % ). . 40 %
. (//35 %
). .
.

:
. 2011 16-.(: 63),
(
: 64), (: 65), (: 66)
.

: 350. ///8
50 .
..

6
:
. www.sbi.co.in, www.statebankofindia.com
.

14-
.

: , , ,
, , - 695011.

-
- 2011 24 11.19
Source: Job offers news story from Malayala Manorama

Recommended Reference Material

Use the Malayalam language and terminology as described and used in the following publications.

Normative References
You must adhere to the normative references listed below. Any deviation from them will, in most cases, create
inconsistencies in the localized product. You must discuss any exceptions from the terms and information listed in
this Style Guide or in glossary files with the assigned Language Specialist, Moderator, or Microsoft Localization
Manager.
The Moderator has identified the following normative references for this language. When more than one solution
is allowed in these references, look for the preferred solution in this Style Guide.
1. Ezhuttachan, K.N. The History of Grammatical Theories in Malayalam. Trivandrum, Linguistic Association 1975
2. George, K.M. Malayalam Grammar and Reader. Kottayam, National Book Stall. 1971.
3. Heraman Gundert. Malayala Bhaasha Vyaakaranam, Kottayam. National Book Stall. 1962.
4. Sekhar.A.C. Evolution of Malayalam. Pune, Pune University
5. A.R. Rajarajavarma, Keralapaniniyam, Second Ed.
6. Suranad Kunjan Pillai, Malayalam Lexicon. 1965.

Contemporary Language reference

Use the Malayalam language and terminology as described and used in the following publications.
Though a lot of grammar and linguistic study materials are available, it is always recommended to have a look at
the contemporary language publications like newspapers and periodicals as they are being updated with the
latest language styles. A few such publications are:
1. Mathrubhumi
7
2. Malayala Manorama
4. Samakalika Malayalam Varika

Informative References
The following informative references provide supplementary and comparative information, background details,
and so on; these references are for your information only and do not supersede the information found in this Style
Guide or in the normative references.

1. Andrewskutty, Intransitive and Transitive Verbs, International Journal of Dravidian Linguistics, 1972
2. Prbhakara Varier KM Studies in Malayalam Grammar. Madras, University of Madras,1979
3. Shyamala Kumari B An Intensive course in Malayalam. CIIL, Mysore, 1981
4. Prabodhachandran Nair, Malayalam A Linguistic Description, National Research publishing company, 1973
5. Thettillatha Malayalam by Prof Panmana Ramachandran Nair, Pubilsher : DC BOOKS.

8
Language Specific Conventions
This part of the style guide contains information about standards specific to Malayalam.

Country/Region Standards

Characters

Country/region India

Lower-case characters n/a

Upper-case characters n/a

Characters in caseless
scripts
Pure Consonants (Chillakshara):

Extended Latin characters n/a

There are vowels and consonants. The vowels start like

Note on alphabetical order in the alphabetic order. The
consonants also follow the same order of the secondary vowel.

Total number of characters 56

=U+0D05, =U+0D06, =U+0D07, =U+0D08, =U+0D09,

=U+0D0A, =U+0D0B, =U+0D0E, =U+0D0F, =U+0D10, =
U+0D12, =U+0D13, =U+0D14, U+0D05=U+0D02 =
U+0D05=U+0D03, =U+0D15, =U+0D16, =U+0D17, =
U+0D18, =U+0D19, =U+0D1A, =U+0D1B, =U+0D1C, =
Unicode codes U+0D1D, =U+0D1E, =U+0D1F, =U+0D20, =U+0D21, =
U+0D22, =U+0D23, =U+0D24, =U+0D25, =U+0D26, =U+0D27,
=U+0D28, =U+0D2A, =U+0D2B, =U+0D2C, =U+0D2D, =
U+0D2E, =U+0D2F, =U+0D30, =U+0D32, =U+0D35, =
U+0D36, =U+0D37, =U+0D38, =U+0D39, =U+0D33, =
U+0D34, =U+0D31

For writing some words we have to depend on the ZWNJ.

Notes Example: is incorrect without ZWNJ. is the correct
one

9
Date

Country/region India

Calendar/Era Gregorian calendar

First Day of the Week

First Week of the Year n/a

Separator Slash

Default Short Date

d/m/yy
Format

Example 17/3/11

Default Long Date Format D/MMMM/YYYY

Example 17//2011

Additional Short Date

n/a
Format 1

Example n/a

Additional Short Date

n/a
Format 2

Example n/a

Additional Long Date

n/a
Format 1

Example n/a

Additional Long Date

n/a
Format 2

Example n/a

Leading Zero in Day Field

No
for Short Date Format

Leading Zero in Month

Field for Short Date No
Format

10
No. of digits for year for
2
Short Day Format

Leading Zero in Day Field

No
for Long Date Format

Leading Zero in Month

Field for Long Date No
Format

Number of digits for year

4
for Long Day Format

Date Format for

dd/MMMM/yyyy
Correspondence

Example 17//2011

Notes n/a

d is for day, number of d's indicates the format (d = digits without leading zero, dd =
digits with leading zero, ddd = the abbreviated day name, dddd = full day name)
Abbreviations in Format M is for month, number of M's gives number of digits. (M = digits without leading
Codes zero, MM = digits with leading zero, MMM = the abbreviated name, MMMM = full
name)
y is for year, number of y's gives number of digits (yy = two digits, yyyy = four digits)

Time
Country/region India

24 hour format No

Standard time format HH:mm:ss

Standard time format

03:24:12
example

Time separator Colon, :

Time separator examples 03:24:12

Hours leading zero Yes

Hours leading zero example 03:24:12

String for AM designator AM

String for PM designator PM

11
Notes n/a

Days
Country/region: India

Day Normal Form Abbreviation

Monday .

Tuesday .

Wednesday .

Thursday .

Friday .

Saturday .

Sunday .

First Day of Week:

Is first letter capitalized?: n/a
Notes: n/a

Months

Country/region: India

Month Full Form Abbreviated Form Long Date Form

January . 18 2011

February . 18 2011

March . 18 2011

April . 18 2011

May n/a 18 2011

June n/a 18 2011

July n/a 18 2011

August . 18 2011

September . 18 2011

12
October . 18 2011

November . 18 2011

December . 18 2011

Is first letter capitalized? No

Notes: No abbreviation for months like May, June and July.

Numbers
Malayalam language usually uses Latin Script numerals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9).

Phone Numbers
Country/ International Area Number of Separator Number of Digit
region Dialing Codes Digits Area Digits Groupings
Code Used? Codes Domestic Domestic

India +91 Yes For Chennai, No separator 1)11 [0 + 2 digits (0##) 2#######-
Delhi, Mumbai, used. + 8 digits (first -for metropolitan
Kolkata (i.e. digit is always 2) cities; (0###)
metropolitan for metropolitan 2######--for
cities) it is 0 + 2 cities.] (2) 11 [0 districts; (0####)
digits [044, 011, + 3 digits + 7 2##### for sub-
022, 033]; digits (first digit divisions.
districts 0 + 3 is always 2) for
digits area code districts.] (3) 11
numbers are [0 + 4 digits + 6
used, e.g., digits (first digit
Thiruvananthap is always 2 )for
uram0471, sub-divisions.]
Palakkad
0491; 0 + 4
digits area code
for sub-divisions
e.g Alathur
04922.

Country/ Number of Digit Number of Digit Number of Digit

region Digits Groupings Digits Mobile Groupings Digits Groupings
Local Local Mobile International International

India 1. 8 digit 2. 7 2###-#### 10 digits ########## 12 +91(##)2###-

digit 3. 6 digit (metropolita (in all cases) #### (for

13
 (depending n cities); metropolitan
upon the 2##-#### cities);
status of the (for other +91(###)2##-
cities they cities) #### (for other
have cities):
different digit +91(####)2#-
phone #### (for sub-
numbers.) divisions)

Notes:
The above mentioned particulars are based on BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Govt. of India undertaking)
system. The other services like Tata Indicom, Reliance etc are using same area codes. The number of digits may
vary.

Addresses

Country/region: India
Disclaimer: Please note that the information in this entry should under no circumstances be used in examples as
fictitious information.
Address Format:
1. [Title/Honorific] / First Name Last Name
2. Company Name/Office
Name/
3. Address
4. Postal code
5. Country
Example Address:
Shri.A.V.Thomas
State Bank of India
Sasthamangalam P.O. Thiruvananthapuram
695 578
Kerala
India
Local Postal Code Format: xxx xxx
Notes: A six digits code of numbers.

14
Currency

Country/region India

Currency Name

Currency Symbol

Currency Symbol Position Before the digit, for example ( 5,000)

Positive Currency Format 5,000

Negative Sign Symbol n/a

Negative Currency Format n/a

Decimal Symbol . (Point)

Number of Digits after Decimal Two (2) (e.g. 5,000.00)

Digit Grouping Symbol ,

Number of Digits in Digit

2-3
Grouping

Positive Currency Example 5,000.00.

Negative Currency Example n/a

ISO Currency Code INR

Currency Subunit Name

Currency Subunit Symbol n/a

Currency Subunit Example 0.50

Digit Groups
Country/region: India
Decimal Separator: [.]
Decimal Separator Description: (dasaamsam) dot
Decimal Separator Example: 3.58, 23.45
Thousand Separator: [,]
Thousand Separator Description: (comma) comma
Thousand Separator Example: 1, 500
Notes: n/a

15
Measurement Units
Metric System Commonly Used?: Yes
Temperature: Celsius

Category English Translation Abbreviation

Linear Measure Kilometer ..

Meter .

Decimeter ..

Centimeter .

Millimeter ..

Capacity Hectoliter ..

Liter .

Deciliter ..

Centiliter ..

Milliliter ..

Mass Ton

Kilogram ..

Pound n/a

Gram

Decigram .

Centigram .

Milligram ..

English Units of Inch n/a

Measurement
Feet n/a

Mile n/a

Gallon n/a

Notes: n/a

Percentages

Percentages (%) are used to express how large/small one quantity is, relative to another quantity.
16
Sorting

1.The sorting order in Malayalam starts with vowels

, the words starting with vowels will then be
combined along with the consonants in their alphabetical order

Sorting rules

2. The consonants will be combined with secondary vowels and will be arranged in their
alphabetical order.
3. Then the consonants will be combined with consonants according to alphabetical order i.e.
cluster formation.
3333
3334
3335
3336
3337
3338
3339
3342
3343
3344
3346
3347
Character
3348
sorting order
3333
3330
3333
3331
3349
3350
3351
3352
3353
3354
3355
3356

17
 3357
3358
3359
3360
3361
3362
3363
3364
3365
3366
3367
3368
3370
3371
3372
3373
3374
3375
3376
3378
3381
3382
3383
3384
3385
3379
3380
3377

Examples of
sorted words

18


19


20


21


22


23


24


25


26


27


28


29


30


31
Geopolitical Concerns
Part of the cultural adaptation of the US-product to a specific market is the resolving of geopolitical issues. While
the US-product should have been designed and developed with neutrality and a global audience in mind, the
localized product should respond to the particular situation that applies within the target country/region.

Sensitive issues or issues that might potentially be offensive to the users in the target country/region may occur in
any of the following:
Maps
Flags
Country/region, city and language names
Art and graphics
Cultural content, such as encyclopedia content and other text where historical or political references may occur.
Some of these issues are relatively easy to verify and resolve: the objective should be for the localizer to always
have the most current information available. Maps and other graphic representations of countries/regions and
regions should be checked for accuracy and existing political restrictions. Country/region, city and language
names change on a regular basis and need to be checked, even if previously approved.
A thorough understanding of the culture of the target market is required for checking the appropriateness of
cultural content, clip art and other visual representations of religious symbols, body and hand gestures.

Guideline

As country/region and city names can change, please use the most up-to-date Malayalam list for every release of
your product.

32
Grammar, Syntax & Orthographic Conventions
This section includes information on how to apply the general rules of the Malayalam language to Microsoft
products and documentation.

Adjectives
The changing word which indicates and covers limitation specific information about noun is called as an adjective.
Adjectives are words that give attributes to nouns, extending their definitions. In Malayalam, adjectives should be
handled as the following example given. An adjective is a word whose main syntactic role is to qualify a noun or
noun phrase, giving more information about the object signified. Adjectives form an open class of words that is; it is
relatively common for new adjectives to be formed via processes as derivation.
Example:
. Here is an adjective.

Possessive adjectives
The frequent use of possessives is a feature of English language. However in Malayalam, possessive adjectives
are handled as the example follows. Possessive adjectives are a part of speech that modifies a noun by
attributing possession (or other sense of belonging) to someone or something. Possessive adjectives can
eliminate repetition in a sentence by replacing a determiner phrase (or in other analyses, a noun phrase).
Example: . Here is possessive adjective.

Articles
General considerations
An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. The
articles in the English language are "a", "an" and "the". But in Malayalam it is not used. E.g. An apple- for
Malayalam only write apple , a pen = , the door = .

Unlocalized Feature Names

Microsoft product names and non-translated feature names are used without definite or indefinite articles in the
English language. We treat them in this way: Product names and unlocalized feature names should also be
treated as proper nouns in Malayalam:
Example:

English example Malayalam example

Windows Mail shares your Internet Connection settings (+) Windows Mail
with Internet Explorer Internet Explorer

33
English example Malayalam example

Website addresses will be sent to Microsoft (+) Microsoft

.

Localized Feature Names

Translated feature names are handled in this way. By contrast, translated feature names are used with a definite
or indefinite article as they are not treated as proper names.

Example:

English example Malayalam example

Windows Live Toolbar has been installed successfully. (+) Windows Live

.

Articles for English Borrowed Terms

When faced with an English loan word previously used in Microsoft products, consider the following options:

34
 Motivation: Does the English word have any formally motivated features that would allow a
straightforward integration into the noun class system of Malayalam language?
Analogy: Is there an equivalent Malayalam term whose article could be used?
Frequency: Is the term used in other technical documentation? If so, what article is used most often?
The internet may be a helpful reference here.

Example:
3.5 Floppy - (+) 3.5
Here Floppy is transliterated as there is no direct Malayalam equivalent available.
Few other similar terms - Click, Menu, Slide, Audio, Video, Multimedia, etc.

Capitalization
This section does is not apply to Malayalam.

Compounds
Generally, compounds should be understandable and clear to the user. Overly long or complex compounds
should be avoided. Keep in mind that unintuitive compounds are ultimately an intelligibility and usability issue.
Compounding is one of the important grammatical features in Malayalam word formation process. Most of the
Malayalam compounds are classified in to two main types such as noun-noun type and noun-verb type. The usual
word formation process is that nouns are freely combined with other nouns. Let us consider one example of noun-
noun compounding.
Example:
Eg: (file) + (location) = (file location)
Eg: (account) + (balance) = (Account balance)
Here, the head of the compound word is the i.e. it is a headed compound.
The second type ie.noun-verb compound has a significance role in the word formation process. Some of these
compounds have variant grammatical features and it is natural to categorize these compounds either in
compound verb or NP+verb.
Generally, compounds should be understandable and clear to the user. Overly long or complex compounds
should be avoided by verbally expressing the relationship among the various compound components. Keep in
mind that unintuitive compounds are ultimately an intelligibility and usability issue.

English examples Malayalam example

Internet Accounts (+)

Logon script processing (+)

35
English examples Malayalam example

Workgroup Administrator (+)

Internet News Server Name (+)

Gender
You should always recognize your audiences sensitivity to male and female stereotypes. Instead of stressing
gender differences or reinforcing stereotypical distinctions between men and women, use language that is as
neutral as possible. The neutral approach also applies to the localization of scenarios, comparisons, examples,
illustrations, and metaphors.

Avoid writing sentences that refer to a single person whose gender is unknown. You can often avoid this situation
by rewriting the sentence to make the subject plural. In cases where a reference to a single person is impossible
to avoid, do not use he or she, him or her, or his or hers. The language in Microsoft products should sound
natural, as if part of a spoken conversation. Also, generally avoid the use of slashes to combine both genders
(although sometimes exceptions are made - see table below).
Example:

Linguistic method Example Context

Use a Neutral noun (+) , , Concept descriptions,

,, explanations: Gender distinction on
, nouns is a common grammatical
. feature in Malayalam. Plural forms
of some words are used here.

Two separated genders are used (+) , Only in exceptional cases such as
License Terms, sometimes in
tables (headers or column/row
titles, for example)

Genitive
In Malayalam, genitive case has two variant phonologically conditioned forms. One of the forms occurs with
singular nouns with stem ending in and with certain nouns and pronouns which take the argument .The
second genitive case marker is used with other singulars and with all plurals.
Convention 1 (e.g. Attaching a genitive "s" to (trademarked) product names is not feasible, as it could be
interpreted as a modification of such names.)
Example: (+) childs father
(+) childs leg

36
It is noted that possession is expressed by the genitive forms of personal pronouns. The examples of these forms
are placed below.
It is noted that possession is expressed by the genitive forms of personal pronouns. The examples of these forms
are placed below.

Person singular plural honorific

First exclusive
Inclusive
Second /
Third masculine
Feminine
Neuter

There are also singular and plural reflexive possessive pronouns and . One important
point regarding case system in Malayalam is that the syntactic and semantic functions of noun phrases are
expressed mainly by bound case suffixes.

Modifiers
This section does not apply to Malayalam.

Nouns
General considerations
Many languages differentiate between different noun classes based on features such as animacy, shape, gender,
and so on. English loan words must be integrated into the noun class system of your language. When faced with
an English loan word not previously used in Microsoft products, consider the following options:
Motivation: Does the English word have any formally motivated features that would allow a straightforward
integration into the noun class system of your language?
Analogy: Is there an equivalent Malayalam term that could be used to justify the noun class the noun gets
assigned to?
Frequency: Is the term used in other technical documentation? If so, what noun class is it assigned to most
often? The Internet may be a helpful reference here.
If the choice of noun class is left up to you, ensure that you provide consistent translations within the Microsoft
product. Please consult with your translation team lead and team members to decide what noun class to assign.
Example:

English example Malayalam example

Delete it from server. (+) server

37
English example Malayalam example

Enter a password to log into the server (+) Server

DNS cannot resolve the server IP address (+) Server IP DNS

.

Inflection
The examples below show how English loan words inflect for number in Malayalam.

The number marking system of Malayalam Noun is mainly concerned with singular and plural markers. Some of
the important plural markers likes ,,,will occur in the noun stems according to the semantic
properties of nouns like [+HUM HUM] and the phonological shape of stem.

English example Malayalam example

Clients (+)

Websites (+)

Downloads (+)

Plural Formation
For Malayalam nouns, regular grammar rules are applied for forming plurals. When a noun is borrowed from other
languages into Malayalam and we make it plural, Malayalam grammar rules should be applied.

Example: is a borrowed noun from English. We make it into plural by adding a suffix . So the plural
will be .

Prepositions
Pay attention to the correct use of the preposition in translations. Influenced by the English language, many
translators omit them or change the word order.
Prepositions are not available in Malayalam language. Postpositions are there. Some examples are given for
reference.

38
Example:

Postpositions Malayalam forms English Meaning

(+) From the Office

(+) Up to the house

(+) With the stick

(+) About them

(+) Him also

(+) After going

(+) On the road

(+) Like that

US-English expression Malayalam expression Comment

migrate to WordPad (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

migrate from WordPad (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

import to database (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

import from database (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

export to database (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

. is in-built with language users.

export from database (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.
.

update to Windows (+) Windows No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

upgrade to Windows 7 (+) Windows 7 No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

change to desktop (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

39
US-English expression Malayalam expression Comment
is in-built with language users.

click on view (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

connect to (+) Windows 7 No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

welcome to ... (+) Windows 7 No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

The examples below contain frequently occurring noun phrases that are preceded by a preposition. Please use
this table as a reference.

US-English expression Malayalam expression Comment

in the toolbar (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

on the tab (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

on the menu (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

on the net (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

on the Internet (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

on the Web (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

on a web site (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

on a web page (+) No confusion here. Suffix formation

is in-built with language users.

Pronouns
Pronouns in Malayalam take a logical pattern. There are Personal pronouns, indefinite pronouns, relative
pronouns, reciprocal or reflexive pronouns in Malayalam. Below is a list of the Personal pronouns:

40


Punctuation
Malayalam language is following the general punctuation characters and rules which are applicable to English
language.

Comma
Comma is used as a separator when several names or items are written consecutively and also for short pauses.

English Example Malayalam Example

Sorry, you can't add yourself as a friend: (+) ,

:

41
US English uses a period as the decimal separator, while many other languages use a comma. In Malayalam a
comma is used. Do not use a space for this purpose as a space separates the numeral from the abbreviation.
In paper sizes (the last example in the table below) the decimal separator and the abbreviation "in" for inches are
kept, since the sizes are US norms and should be represented accordingly.

English example Malayalam example

5.25 cm (+) 5.25 .

5 x 7.2 inches (+) 5 x 7.2

Letter Landscape 11 x 8.5 in (+) Letter 11 x 8.5 in

For thousands, English uses a comma while many other languages use a period (at Microsoft we normally do not
use a space for this purpose, but we use a period instead to avoid wrapping problems). In Malayalam a comma is
used.

English example Malayalam example

1,526 (+) 1,526

$ 1,526.75 (+) 1,526.75

Colon

: (: colon) informs that what follows proves, clarifies, explains, or simply enumerates elements of what is
referred. Do not use colons to inappropriate places.
Example:
(+), :
(+): .

Dashes and Hyphens

Three different dash characters are used in English:

Hyphen
The hyphen is used to divide words between syllables, to link parts of a compound word, and to connect the parts
of an inverted or imperative verb form.
Example: Drop-down = -, e-mail = -

42
En Dash
The en dash is used as a minus sign, usually with spaces before and after. En dash A dash smaller than an em
dash but usually longer than a regular hyphen, the en dash is often used in place of the word "to".
The en dash is also used in number ranges, such as those specifying page numbers. No spaces are used around
the en dash in this case.
Malayalam is using hyphen in this place.
(+): 1-10 (Pages: 1-10)

Em Dash
The em dash should only be used to emphasize an isolated element or introduce an element that is not essential
to the meaning conveyed by the sentence. Malayalam language usually does not use em dash. If required em
dash will be followed in the translation also as found in source.

Ellipses (Suspension Points)

Omission of words needed to complete the construction or meaning of a sentence. The triple-dot punctuation
mark is also called a suspension point, points of ellipses.
Example: (+) ...

Period
A punctuation mark (.) indicating a full stop, placed at the end of declarative sentences and other statements
thought to be complete, and after many abbreviations.
Example: (+) . .
Going around, way around, going around in a circle, circuit," and with regard to time, "cycle or period of time,"
referred in rhetoric to "a group of words organically related in grammar and sense.

Quotation Marks
Please follow the following basic rules for the use of quotation marks in Malayalam.

In Malayalam, single and double quotation marks are used to represent the text. If one wants to use the content of
the original test as such, the double quotation mark will be used.
Eg: (+)

It is natural to use single quotation mark when the content of the text reveals the identity of a speaker.
Eg: (+) .
In US source strings, you may find software references surrounded by English quotation marks.

43
Parentheses
In English, there is no space between the parentheses and the text inside them. For Malayalam, additional word,
clause, etc.; placed as an explanation or comment in a sentence.
Example: (+) (:)

Singular & Plural

Singular and Plural forms are followed as per the source. Malayalam language usually adds a suffix at the end of
words to make a singular word into plural. Sometimes the spelling of the word also changes to make a word into
plural.
Singular - Plural
(+) -

Split Infinitive
This section does not apply to Malayalam.

Subjunctive
Expressing a condition, a possibility or a hypothesis, is a verb mood typically used in subordinate clauses to
express a wish. In Malayalam Subjunctive is indicated by affixing or to the future
or to the infinitive of the verb. But, it will come under the regular grammar rules of Malayalam. So, elaboration or
examples of them are not necessary.
Eg: (+) .

Symbols & Non-Breaking Spaces

A symbol is something such as an object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents
something else by association, resemblance, or convention. See some traffic signs
Example: stop mean red spot is there, it seems you must stop at that point. School schools symbol will be
shown.
The non-breaking space is also known as a hard space or fixed space. In HTML non-breaking space is created by
replacing the space with &nbsp.
Non breaking spaces needs to be used whenever regular spacing is not possible or not usable such as html
pages.
Microsoft Language interface pack
Normal usage: (+) Microsoft
HTML page: (+) Microsoft     
Where   represents non-breaking space.

44
Syntax
Syntax and register differ between Malayalam and English in the following ways:
English: Subject Verb Object => I speak Malayalam
Malayalam: Subject Object Verb => I Malayalam speak ((+))
English: Subject Verb Preposition Object => I go to school
Malayalam: Subject Object Postposition Verb => I school to go ((+))

Verbs
Be consistent in how you translate verbs in error messages. If it is grammatical to omit the predicate be in your
language, you can omit it in error messages, but you should be consistent in your usage across all error
messages. Be concise without changing the meaning of the source string.
Example:
Continuous operations are usually expressed in English with a gerund, which should be translated into
Malayalam.

English example Malayalam example Explanation

The document is too large. (+) . Be consistent in your usage of

Document too large. (+) . the verb to be.

Access was denied. (+) In complete sentences, use verbs

Access denied. . and the same tense as in the
(+) source string.
.

The file '%s' is an unknown (+) '%s' Rephrase is with have if

graphics format. necessary to produce an
. appropriate translation.

The application may attempt to (+) may + Verb can be rephrased as

convert the graphic. . Verb + possibly

A problem occurred while trying (+) Shorten and rephrase if

to connect to the network share necessary to A problem
'%1!s!'. . occurred while connecting to the
network share '%1!s!'.

The following error occurred: (+) : '%1!s!'(#%2!lx!). Shorten this construction where
'%1!s!' (error #%2!lx!) possible, e.g. Error: '%1!s!' (error
#%2!lx!).

45
English example Malayalam example Explanation

An unknown error has occurred./ (+) ./ Shorten this construction where

No error occurred. . possible, e.g. Unknown error. /
No error.

Word Order
The primary word order of Malayalam is SOV (Subject-Object-Verb), An unusual feature of Malayalam, as
compared to other Indo-European languages. In linguistic typology, Subject Object Verb (SOV) is the type of
languages in which the subject, object, and verb of a sentence appear or usually appear in that order.
Example:
1. (+)
2. (+) .

Style and Tone Considerations

This section focuses on higher-level considerations for audience, style, tone, and voice.

Audience
In this style guide that peoples who used electronic equipments and software products called audience.
Example:
1. Computer user
2. Electronic equipments user
3. Mobile user

Style
There should be used a simple writing style, which is easy to understand by general user of products as well as a
product specific user. Localizer should be used that words which is used in general for some products or
hardware equipment so that general users understand it easily.
Example: DVD, Server, Internet

Tone
Tone should be formal. The tone of the Malayalam translation should mimic the tone of the source product, but
should also be respectful. Any word forms that are specific to a particular dialect should be avoided.
Source: You should accept the Terms and Conditions to continue.
Incorrect: (-) .
Correct: (+) .

46
Voice
In case of voice, You must be translated using the second person plural form of the pronoun.
Example:

English Translation

(+)
You are now connected to the Internet.
.

47
Localization Guidelines
This section contains guidelines for localization into Malayalam.

General Considerations
Localization is more than the process of simply translating a product for a specific international market.
Localization includes the adaptation of the product to the language, standards, and cultural norms of a particular
country or region, as well as the accommodation of the requirements and expectations of a specific target group.
Language, gestures, images, symbols, values, and norms can vary significantly from one country or region to the
next.

Abbreviations
Common Abbreviations
You might need to abbreviate some words in the UI (mainly buttons or options names) due to lack of space. This
can be done in the following ways:
Abbreviated form should be selected from the first letter of the word. If the first letter is already in use, use the first
two consequent letters of the word. For compound words, use the initial letters of the two main words.
The following table lists common Malayalam expressions and their associated, acceptable abbreviations.
List of common abbreviations:

Malayalam example Acceptable abbreviation

(+) .

(+) .

(+) .
(+) .
(+) .
(+) .
(+) .
(+) ..
(+) .
(+) ..
(+) .
(+) ..

(+) .
(+) ..

48
Accessibility
Microsoft provides people with disabilities (single-handed or with hearing or motion disabilities) with more
accessible products and services. These may not be available in Malayalam. Please check with your Microsoft
contact and remove these references from Malayalam text if necessary.

Acronyms
Acronyms are words made up of the initial letters of major parts of a compound term. Some well-known examples
are WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), OLE (Object Linking and Embedding), or RAM (Random
Access Memory).
List of common acronyms:
(+) POTA
(+)
SAARC
(+)
UNESCO
(+) VAT
(+) ISRO
(+) LAN

Guidelines on the use of acronyms in Malayalam:

In Malayalam language there is no genuine Acronym. Malayalam language uses the transliterated form of the
corresponding English acronyms.
(+) KSRTC
(+) KSEB

Caution: Do not include a generic term after an acronym or abbreviation if one of the letters in the acronym stands
for that term. Even though this might occur in the US-English version, it should be corrected in the localized
version. The following examples show the redundancy in red for English terms.
(-) RPC call
(-) HTML language
(-) TCP/IP-Protocol
(-) PIN Number
(-)
(-)

49
Localized Acronyms
In online help or documentation, spell out the words that comprise an acronym or abbreviation the first time that
acronym is used in the text. You should include the language-specific translation, the US term, and the acronym
as in the following example:

(+) (Data Access Objects, DAO)

(+) (ActiveX Data Objects, ADO)

In the user interface, there is usually not enough space for all three terms (US term, language-specific translation,
and the acronym); only in wizards, the acronym can easily be spelled out and localized on first mention. If there
are space constraints or there is no 'first' occurrence, it is up to you to judge to the best of your knowledge
whether the acronym or abbreviation can be left as is or should be spelled out and localized.

You should also consider that different users will have different levels of knowledge about a product. For example,
an Italian Exchange user will understand DL, but the average Italian Windows user might not understand DL
and would need to see lista di distribuzione (distribution list) instead. Try to be consistent within a product with
your use of acronyms and initializations.

Note: Although the English acronym cannot generally be derived from the language-specific translation, creating a
new acronym derived from the language-specific translated term is not an option. For example, do not replace an
English acronym with a language-specific acronym; instead, leave the English acronym or abbreviation intact, as
in the following examples where DLL and DPI are correctly rendered as DLL and DPI:

Language English example Acceptable translation

Hausa Application Initialization DLL Farawa Afilikeshon DLL
Kiswahili DPI Scaling Urekebishaji DPI

Unlocalized Acronyms
Many abbreviations and acronyms are standardized and remain untranslated. They are only followed by their full
spelling in English if the acronym needs to be explained to the speakers of a different language. In other cases,
where the acronym is rather common, adding the fully spelled-out form will only confuse users. In these cases,
the acronym can be used on its own.

The following list contains examples of acronyms and abbreviations that are considered commonly understood;
these acronyms and abbreviations should not be localized or spelled out in full in English:
ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
ISO (International Standards Organization)
ISDN

50
 DOS
DSL
CD
DVD

If you are unsure what an acronym or abbreviation stands for or refers to, please contact the Moderator
responsible for this Style Guide.

Applications, Products, and Features

Application/product names are often trademarked or may be trademarked in the future and are therefore rarely
translated. Occasionally, feature names are trademarked, too (e.g. IntelliSense). Before translating any
application, product, or feature name, please verify that it is in fact translatable and not protected in any way.

51
For Malayalam, we usually do not translate any product and feature names until and otherwise the particular
product or feature is localized with their names. This should be followed for application names too.

Note: Mistakes with product names and trademarking are considered accuracy errors.

Frequent Errors
Product names should not be localized.
Example: The Microsoft Feedback Tool is unable to send feedback.
Translation: (+) Microsoft .

Glossaries
You can find the translations of terms and UI elements of Microsoft products at Microsoft Language Portal
(http://www.microsoft.com/Language/en-US/Default.aspx).

Fictitious Information
Fictitious content is legally sensitive material and as such cannot be handled as a pure terminology or localization
issue. Below is some basic information and contact points when dealing with fictitious content:
Vendors and Localizers are not allowed to create their own fictitious names. You must either use the source
names or use the list of legally approved names.

Please contact your product team representative for further information on how to deal with fictitious companies,
names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, etc. in your product. For technical products, you may also
check with the product team representative whether localized fictitious content is required or not (e.g. Visual
Studio).

Recurring Patterns
This section does not apply to Malayalam.

Standardized Translations
There are a number of standardized translations mentioned in all sections of this Style Guide. In order to find
them more easily, the most relevant topics and sections are compiled here for you reference as listed below:
Days
Adjectives
Unlocalized Feature Names
Localized Feature Names
52
Compounds
Nouns
Punctuation
Verbs
Frequent Errors
User Interface
Messages
The importance of standardization
Error Messages Containing Placeholders

Unlocalized Items
Trademarked names and the name Microsoft Corporation shouldnt be localized. A list of Microsoft trademarks is
available for your reference at the following location: http://www.microsoft.com/trademarks/t-mark/names.htm.

Word Comment

.Net logo

Access database software

Active Accessibility programming interfaces tools

Active Desktop interface item

Active Directory directory service

ActiveMovie application programming interface

ActiveStore retail technology architecture

ActiveSync Technology

ActiveX technologies, platform, controls, scripting, server

framework

Advisor FYI personalized financial guidance

Aero desktop experience

Age of Empires video game

Age of Mythology video game

Amalga software for healthcare

Ask for Genuine Microsoft Software computer software

53
Word Comment

Authenticode Technology

AutoRoute road atlas

AutoRoute Express road atlas

AutoRoute Plus professional road atlas

Azurik video game

Bankshot Billiards video game

BattleTech game universe

BitLocker drive encryption

Bizspark Technology

BizTalk Server

Blinx video game

Blood Wake video game

Blue Dragon video game

Bookdings Font

Brute Force video game

BugLight IT pro technology

Calibri Font

Cambria Font

Candara Font

Carbonated Games video games

Cariadings Font

ClearType display technology

Consolas Font

Constantia font

Convection font

Convergence Conference

Corbel Font

54
Word Comment

Cortana action figure

Crackdown video game

Crimson Skies video game

DataTips pop-up information

DaunPenh Font

Dexterity Software

Digital Anvil video games

Direct3D application programming interface

DirectAnimation application programming interface

DirectBand wireless technology

DirectDraw application programming interface

DirectInput application programming interface

DirectMusic application programming interface

DirectPlay application programming interface

DirectShow application programming interface

DirectSound application programming interface

DirectX application programming interface

DreamSpark Technology

DreamScene visualization technology

Drivatar AI technology

Encarta multimedia encyclopedia/online encyclopedia

Encarta logo (graphic only)

Ensemble Studios Games

Entourage e-mail and personal information manager

ESP visual simulation platform

Excel spreadsheet software

Exhibition demo disc

55
Word Comment

Expression design software

Expression Blend design software

FASA Studio video games

Finty Flush video game

FlexGo prepaid and subscription technology

Fluent user interface

Forefront client security

Forza Motorsport video game

Fox head logo

Freelancer video game

Fringer video game

FRx Software

Fuzion Frenzy video game

GameSpring subscription service

Game with Fame Event

Genuine Advantage Logo

Georgia Font

Gisha Font

Great Plains Software

Groove Software

Habu gaming mouse

Halo video game

Halo logo

Halo Wars video game

Halo 2 logo

HDCD audio enhancement technology

HDCD logo

56
Word Comment

HealthVault healthcare website technology

HealthVault logo

Hexic video game

High Road to Revenge video game

Hotmail web-based e-mail service

HotStart Technology

Hyper-V Technology

Imagine Cup logo

Infinite Undiscovery video game

InfoPath information-gathering program

Inkseine computer search engine software

IntelliMirror management technologies

IntelliMorph Software

IntelliMouse pointing device

IntelliSense Technology

IntelliShrink text compression system

Internet Explorer internet browser

Iskoola Pota Font

Its Mr. Pants video game

Jawbreaker video game

JScript development software

Kung Fu Chaos video game

Laser Technology logo

LifeChat Headset

LineDrive mapping feature

Lionhead video game

Lionhead logo

57
Word Comment

Lips video game

Live Mesh logo

Lost Odyssey video game

MapPoint business mapping software

Marine Mania video game

Master Chief action figure

Maximum Chase video game

MechAssault video game

MechCommander video game

MechWarrior video game

Mediaroom multimedia software platform

Mediaroom logo

MedVault computer software for medical database/storage

Microsoft Software

Microsoft Auto logo

Microsoft Digital by Choice logo

Microsoft Dynamics business software

Microsoft Dynamics logo

Microsoft eMbedded Visual Tools logo

Microsoft Game Studios logo

Microsoft Internet Explorer logo (graphic only)

Microsoft .NET Connected logo

Microsoft Points logo

Microsoft Press Books

Microsoft Surface software and touch computing platform

Microsoft Surface logo

Midtown Madness video game

58
Word Comment

Monster Truck Madness video game

MorphX Software

Motocross Madness video game

Mozaki video game

MS computer software

MS-DOS operating system

MSDN developer program

MSN network of Internet services

MSN logo (butterfly)

MultiPoint Technology

Natural keyboard
mouse

Navision Software

NavReady Software

Nina Font

Ninety-Nine Nights video game

Office logo (puzzle design)

Office logo

OneCare computer protection and maintenance software and

services

OneCare logo

OneNote note-taking program

OpenType font technology

Optical Technology logo

OptiMatch game matchmaking system

Outlook messaging and collaboration client

Outlook Launch Icon (2007)

OutSmart online game

59
Word Comment
Passport logo

People Ready business software

Perfect Dark Zero video game
PerformancePoint business intelligence software
PGR video game
Phantom Dust video game
Photosynth Technology
Photosynth logo

PinPoint online business marketplace

PivotChart dynamic views
PivotTable dynamic views
PlayFX suite of audio enhancement technologies
PlayReady content access technology
PlaysForSure logo interoperability and compatibility logo
Popfly Technology
PowerPoint presentation graphics program
PowerPointLaunch Icon (2007)

ProClarity business analysis software

Project Gotham Racing video game
Quantum Redshift video game
Rally device connectivity service
Rare video game
Rare logo

Reader logo

ReadyBoost Technology
ReadyDrive Technology
Reclusa gaming keyboard

60
Word Comment
Response Point phone system software
Response Point logo

Rise of Legends video game

Rise of Nations video game
Rise of Perathia video game
RoundTable communications and archival system
RP Stylized computer hardware/software for voice over IP services
Sabre Wulf video game
SeaDragon Technology
Security Shield logo

Segoe Font
Shadowrun video game
SharePoint team services
portal server
services
ShapeSheet shape extensibility
SideGuide wi-fi access service
SideShow Technology
SideShow logo

SideWinder joystick
game pad
computer mice
keyboard
SideWinder logo

Silverlight browser plug-in

browser plug-in development tool
Silverlight logo

SkyDrive storage technology

SmartArt Graphics

61
Word Comment
Smarter Hospitality technology architecture
Smarter Retailing retail technology architecture
SmartShapes Symbols
Sneakers video game
SoftGrid Technology
Softricity Technology
Software Jukebox logo

Songsmith Software
Spaces logo

Spaces for our World social causes program

SportsLounge streaming technology
Starlancer video game
Starts Here multimedia training series
SteadyState technology for multiple computers
Sudeki video game
SuperFetch memory management technology
SQL Server database software
Tahoma Font
Tao Feng video game
Terminal Services RemoteApp network software
The Age of Kings video game
The Code Room entertainment services
The Hive and Design

The Time Sweeper video game

TrueSkill matchmaking ranking
Turn 10 video games
Ultimate Play the Game logo

62
Word Comment
Verdana Font
Virtual Earth mapping software
Visio drawing and diagramming software
Visual Basic development system
Visual C++ development system
Visual C# development tool
Visual FoxPro database development system
Visual InterDev web development system
Visual J++ development system, development system for the Java
language
Visual J# development tool
Visual SourceSafe version control system, version control software
Visual Studio development system
Visual Studio logo (graphic only)

Viva Piata video game

Voodoo Vince video game
Webdings Font
Whacked! video game
Win32 application programming interface
Windows operating system
Windows Calendar icon

Windows Cardspace identity selector

Windows Contacts icon

Windows DVD Maker icon

Windows Flare logo

Windows Game icon

Windows Live network of internet services

63
Word Comment
Windows Live Call Button logo

Windows Live Messenger icon (single)

Windows Live Messenger icon (double)

Windows Live OneCare logo

Windows logo (aka the flag logo, graphic only)

Windows logo (the 2002 edition)

Windows Mail icon

Windows Marketplace icon

Windows Media technologies, player

Windows Media Player Icon

Windows Meeting Space Icon

Windows Mobile Software

Windows Movie Maker Icon

Windows NT operating system

Windows Photo Gallery Icon

Windows PowerShell command line interface

Windows Server operating system
Windows Server System integrated server software
Windows Sidebar Icon

Windows start button

Windows Start logo (design)

Windows Update Icon

Windows Vista operating system

WinFX application programming interface

Wingdings Font

Word Launch Icon (2007)

WMV/HD logo

64
Word Comment

Xbox video game system

Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system

Xbox Authentic Product logo

Xbox LIVE online game service

Xbox LIVE logo

Xbox "Ring of Light" logo

Xbox "Sphere" logo

Xbox "X" logo

XL design (aka the "Microsoft Excel logo")

XNA development platform

XNA logo

xRank search feature

Your Potential. Our Passion.

Zoo Tycoon video game

Zune digital media player

Zune logo

Using the Word Microsoft

In English, it is prohibited to use MS as an abbreviation for Microsoft.
We use Microsoft in English as it is in Malayalam.
Example: The Microsoft Feedback Tool is unable to send feedback
Translation: (+) Microsoft .

Software Considerations
This section refers to all menus, menu items, commands, buttons, check boxes, etc., which should be consistently
translated in the localized product.
65
Refer to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/aa511258.aspx for a detailed explanation of the Windows user interface
guidelines (English).

User Interface
Translating UI items can be challenging at times. One of the main difficulties in many cases is the lack of context
and information on the exact function of a particular UI item. This topic is intended to give some general
guidelines. Always use all available resources to establish the context for UI items.
Example:

Source Translation

New (+)

Open (+)

Save (+)

Save as (+)

Print (+)

Prepare (+)

Send (+)

Publish (+)

Close (+)

Copy (+)

Paste (+)

Insert (+)

Table (+)

View (+)

Reference (+)

find (+)

full screen (+)

66
Messages
While localizing the messages the tone should be formal and easy to understand.
Example:
Source: Please save your changes.
Translation: (+) .

Status Messages
What is a Status Bar Message?
A status bar message is an informational message about the active document or a selected command as well as
about any active or selected interface item. Messages are shown in the status bar at the bottom of the window
when the user has chosen a menu, a command or any other item, or has started a function. The status bar
messages refer to actions being performed or already complete (for example in Outlook below).

67
Malayalam Style in Status bar Messages
In English, the status bar messages have different forms dependent on the information they must convey. These
messages usually use a verb in the "-ing" form plus three dots in the end. In Malayalam, the passive voice (see
example below) is used.
Difficulties can arise if this convention is not kept in the US text and the status or progress message is not
immediately recognizable as such (although sometimes the Resource ID will tell).
Menu and commands status bar messages should follow the format below.

English Status Bar Malayalam Status Bar

Name Malayalam Name Category
message message

Edit (+) (+)

menu Contains editing commands

Copy to (+) (+)

Folder... Copies the selected items to
menu
... a new location

New (+) (+)

command Creates a new document

action (+) question

Make object visible?
?

process (+) status

Word is converting the

document. Press Esc to
.
stop.
Esc .

view (+) menu Datasheet View

active (+) command Done

The importance of standardization

In the US product you can often find messages that are phrased differently even though they have the same
meaning. Try to avoid this in the localized Malayalam version. Use one standard translation as in the examples
below:

68
English term Correct Malayalam translation

Press F1 to get Help

If you want Help press F1 (+) F1

To get Help press F1

Not enough memory

Insufficient memory (+)

There is not enough memory

Save changes to %1? (+) %1?

Do you want to save changes to %1? (+) %1

(+)
?

Error Messages
What Is An Error Message?
Here is an example:

Error messages are messages sent by the system or a program, informing the user that there is an error that
must be corrected in order for the program to keep running. For example, the messages can prompt the user to
take an action or inform the user of an error that requires rebooting the computer.

Malayalam Style in Error Messages

It is important to use consistent terminology and language style in the localized error messages, and not just
translate as they appear in the US product.

Standard Phrases in Error Messages

When translating standard phrases, standardize. Note that sometimes the US uses different forms to express the
same thing.

69
Error messages written in US-English are occasionally inconsistent. As you localize the software into Malayalam,
you should ensure that you use a standard phrase for error messages that have the same meaning and purpose
in the US-English version.
The following table provides US-English examples of inconsistent error messages and their corresponding,
standardized Malayalam:
Examples:

English Translation Example Comment

Cannot (+) File could not be found Those constructions

Could not . File cannot be found usually being used for
"unable to affect an
outcome".

Failed to (+) Failed to connect

Failure of Failure to connect

Cannot find (+) Cannot find driver

Could not find software

Unable to find Could not find driver

software
Unable to locate
Unable to find driver
software
Unable to locate driver
software

Not enough memory (+) No sufficient memory on

Insufficient memory disk
There is not enough Not enough memory on
memory disk

There is not enough No enough memory is

memory available available on disk

... is not available (+) The command is not

... is unavailable available
The command is
unavailable

70
Error Messages Containing Placeholders
When localizing error messages containing placeholders, try to find out what will replace the placeholder. This is
necessary for the sentence to be grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with a word or phrase.
Note that the letters used in placeholders convey a specific meaning, see examples below:
%d, %ld, %u, and %lu means <number>
%c means <letter>
%s means <string>
Examples of error messages containing placeholders:
"Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d!" means "Checking Web <number> of <number>".
"INI file "%1!-.200s!" section" means "INI file "<string>" section".

When localizing error messages containing placeholders, find out what text will replace the placeholder when the
user sees the error message. This process is necessary because you must ensure the resulting sentence will be
grammatically correct when the placeholder is replaced with a word or phrase. Most source strings have
instructions that detail what text will replace the placeholder.

In the English source string, placeholders are found in the position where they would naturally occur in that
language. Since in English numerals typically precede the noun, the numeral placeholders typically precede the
noun in the source strings. If the numeral follows the noun it modifies in Malayalam, you have to move the
placeholder after the noun. See the examples from Yoruba below

English examples Malayalam examples

in %d days (+) %d

%d minutes (+) %d

The letters and symbols used in placeholder text convey a specific meaning. Please refer to the following table for
examples of placeholder text and corresponding error message text that users will see.

Placeholder text Error message text that users will see

%d, %ld, %u, and %lu Number (such as 3 or 512)

%c Letter (such as f or s)

%s String (such as Click here to continue.)

Checking Web %1!d! of %2!d! Checking Web <number> of <number>

INI file "%1!-.200s!" section INI file "<string>" section

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If your language has agreement between adjectives and nouns, and the noun is a placeholder, it can be important
to know what exact string will be in the placeholder, so that a preceding adjective can be inflected accordingly.
The wording of most source strings has already been adjusted to avoid such localization issues and a syntactic
construction has been chosen in which a placeholder is not modified by an adjective. However, be mindful of such
issues when localizing software. In some languages there is also agreement between a noun subject and the
verb. If your language has syntactic agreement, try to reword the translation to avoid a potentially ungrammatical
sentence.

English example Message User will see Malayalam example

Replace invalid %s? Replace invalid data? (+) %s ?

Replace invalid file?

%s already exists File already exists (+) %s .

Name already exists

%s is now set as your personal Regina is now set as your (+) %s

contact. personal contact
Mr. Kim is now set as your .
personal contact

%s stopped working and was closed The application stopped working (+) %s
and was closed
The program stopped working .
and was closed

Keys
The keyboard is the primary input device used for text input in Microsoft Windows. For accessibility and efficiency,
most actions can be performed using the keyboard as well. While working with Microsoft software, you use keys,
key combinations and key sequences.
In English, References to key names, like arrow keys, function keys and numeric keys, appear in normal text (not
in small caps). Names of keys appearing on keyboard should not be translated.
Example:
ALT
CTRL
END
ENTER
ESC
HOME
INS
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NUMPAD ENTER
NUM LOCK
BACKSPACE
BREAK
CAPS LOCK
CLEAR

Access Keys/Hot keys

Sometimes, there are underlined or highlighted letters in menu options, commands or dialog boxes. These letters
refer to access keys (also known as hot keys) that allow you to run commands, perform tasks, etc. more quickly.

Hot Key Special Options Usage: Is It Allowed? Notes

"Slim characters", such as I, l, t, r, f No

can be used as hot key

Characters with downstrokes, such No

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as g, j, y, p and q can be used as
hotkeys

Extended characters can be used as Yes

hotkeys

An additional letter, appearing Yes

between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkeys

A number, appearing between Yes

brackets after item name, can be
used as hotkey

A punctuation sign, appearing Yes

between brackets after item name,
can be used as hotkey

Duplicate hotkeys are allowed when No

no other character is available

No hotkey is assigned when no more Yes

characters are available (minor
options only)

Additional notes: In Malayalam there are 18 single stroke characters which can be used as hot keys. For the
rest numbers can be used. In Malayalam, English numerals are commonly used to represent numbers. Therefore
these numerals are given as short keys.

Hotkey localization for Malayalam

MALAYALAM is spoken in the state of Kerala, a state of 100percent literacy, the capital of which is
Trivandrum (aka Thiruvananthapuram). SOFT KEYBOARD version and Transliteration are most preferred

InScript Malayalam Keyboard used: (Soft Keyboard)

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Suggestion: Not to Localize
Even though Malayalam uses the same Inscript keyboard as Telugu and Kannada does, when
translated the words are totally different and we have to set different hotkeys when compared to Kannada
or Telugu versions. So it will not be consistent.
Kerala is a state of 100 percent literacy and people are well versed with Malayalam and a big proportion
of them speak English.
The keyboard layout above is the Standard layout for Soft keyboards of Malayalam.
Transliteration is the preferred form of input and in cases where keyboard is required, there are standard
soft version keyboards supported by several Software.
Even if localized it is not consistent with other Indic Languages.

Arrow Keys
The arrow keys move input focus among the controls within a group. Pressing the right arrow key moves input
focus to the next control in tab order, whereas pressing the left arrow moves input focus to the previous control.
Home, End, Up, and Down also have their expected behavior within a group. Users can't navigate out of a control
group using arrow keys. The names of these arrow keys, right arrow, left arrow, up arrow and down arrow can be
localized.
Right arrow (+)
Down arrow - (+)

Numeric Keypad
It is recommended that you avoid distinguishing numeric keypad keys from the other keys, unless it is required by
a given application. In case which keys to be pressed is not obvious, provide necessary explanations.
It is not applicable for Malayalam.

Shortcut Keys
Shortcut keys are keystrokes or combinations of keystrokes used to perform defined functions in a software
application. Shortcut keys replace menu commands and they are sometimes given next to the command they
represent. In opposition to the access keys, which can be used only when available on the screen, shortcut keys
can be used even when they are not accessible on the screen.

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Standard Shortcut Keys

US US English Malayalam Malayalam

Command Shortcut Key Command Shortcut key

General Windows Shortcut keys

Help window F1 F1

Context-sensitive Shift+F1 - Shift+F1

Help

Display pop-up Shift+F10 - Shift+F10

menu

Cancel Esc Esc

Activate\Deactivate F10 F10

menu bar mode /

Switch to the next Alt+Tab Alt+Tab

primary application

Display next Alt+Esc Alt+Esc

window

Display pop-up Alt+Spacebar - Alt+Spacebar

menu for the
window

Display pop-up Alt+- Alt+-

menu for the active -
child window

Display property Alt+Enter Alt+Enter

sheet for current
selection

Close active Alt+F4 Alt+F4

application window

Switch to next Alt+F6 ( - Alt+F6

window within )
(modeless-
compliant)
application

Capture active Alt+Prnt Scrn Alt+Prnt Scrn

window image to

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the Clipboard

Capture desktop Prnt Scrn Prnt Scrn

image to the
Clipboard

Access Start button Ctrl+Esc Ctrl+Esc

in taskbar

Display next child Ctrl+F6 Ctrl+F6

window

Display next tabbed Ctrl+Tab Ctrl+Tab

pane

Launch Task Ctrl+Shift+Esc Ctrl+Shift+Esc

Manager and
system initialization

File Menu

File New Ctrl+N Ctrl+N

File Open Ctrl+O Ctrl+O

File Close Ctrl+F4 Ctrl+F4

File Save Ctrl+S Ctrl+S

File Save as F12 F12

File Print Preview Ctrl+F2 Ctrl+F2

File Print Ctrl+P Ctrl+P

File Exit Alt+F4 Alt+F4

Edit Menu

Edit Undo Ctrl+Z Ctrl+Z

Edit Repeat Ctrl+Y Ctrl+Y

Edit Cut Ctrl+X Ctrl+X

Edit Copy Ctrl+C Ctrl+C

Edit Paste Ctrl+V Ctrl+V

Edit Delete Ctrl+Backspace Ctrl+Backspace

Edit Select All Ctrl+A Ctrl+A

Edit Find Ctrl+F Ctrl+F

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Edit Replace Ctrl+H Ctrl+H

Edit Go To Ctrl+B Ctrl+B

Help Menu

Help F1 F1

Font Format

Italic Ctrl+I Ctrl+I

Bold Ctrl+G Ctrl+G

Underlined\Word Ctrl+U \ Ctrl+U

underline

Large caps Ctrl+Shift+A Ctrl+Shift+A

Small caps Ctrl+Shift+K Ctrl+Shift+K

Paragraph Format

Centered Ctrl+E Ctrl+E

Left aligned Ctrl+L Ctrl+L

Right aligned Ctrl+R Ctrl+R

Justified Ctrl+J Ctrl+J

Document Translation Considerations

Document localization may require some specific considerations that are different from software localization. This
section covers a few of these areas.

Titles
In English the titles for chapters usually begin with "How to " or with phrases such as "Working with " or
"Using ". In the Malayalam version of Microsoft documentation, try to use a nominalized form.
Example:

English example Malayalam example

Sending a file (+)

Using Styles (+)

Whenever possible, titles of lists and tables should consist of one or two words, preferably active nouns. They
should be concise, even if the original heading uses a longer phrase.

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US Title Malayalam Title

In order to (+)

Do this (+)

How to use (+)

First do this (+)

Then do this (+)

How to: (+) :

Walkthrough (+)

Copyright
Copyright protection is granted to any original work of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression from
which it can be perceived, reproduced, or communicated.
The following translations must be used:

English text Malayalam translation

Copyright (+)

All rights reserved (+)

.

Microsoft Corporation (+) Microsoft Corporation

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