**Note: a list of French book terms in English translation is in preparation

 

GERMAN BOOK TERMS TRANSLATED

 

*ordinary German nouns are capitalised

 

A./Aufl. = Auflage = edition / issue

 

Abb. = Abbildung(en) = illustration(s)

 

Abhandlung = essay

 

Abdruck = copy, offprint

 

Abt., Ab. = Abteilung = part / section / department

 

am. = amerikanisch = American

 

Anhang = addition, appendix

 

Anm. = Anmerkung(en) = marginal note(s) / annotations / comments

 

Anstr. = Anstreichungen = markings, scored text

 

Arbeit = work

 

aufgelegt = published

 

Aufsatz = essay

 

ausführl. = ausführlich = comprehensive

 

Ausg. = Ausgabe = edition

 

ausgewählt(e) = selected

 

Bändchen = pamphlet

 

Bd(e) = Band (Bände) = volume(s)

 

bearb. = bearbeitet = revised

 

Beiblatt / Beiheft = supplement

 

beigeb. = beigebunden = bound (together) with

 

Beilage = appendix

 

Beitrag(en), Beiträge = contribution, contributions

 

berieb. = berieben = rubbed

 

besch. = beschädigt = damaged

 

Besitzeintr. = Besitzeintrag = ownership entry

 

besorgt = edited

 

best. = bestossen = bumped

 

betr. = betrifft, betreffend = relating to

 

BG = Büchergilde Gutenberg = name of a common German publisher

 

Bibl. = Bibliothek = library

 

Bl. = Blatt, Blätter = leave(s)

 

blattgr. = blattgross = full-page

 

Bleist. = Bleistift = in pencil / pencilled

 

Blindgepr. = Blindgepresst, blindgeprägt = blind-stamped, blind-tooled

 

Blw. = weiße Blätter = literally "white leaves" / leaf or blank / fly / flyleaf

 

Br. = Brief = letter

 

braunfl. = braunfleckig = brown stains / foxing

 

Briefwechsel = correspondence

 

Brosch. = Broschur, Broschiert = wraps / wrappers / paperbound

 

Buch = book

 

Buchbl. = Buchblock = book block

 

Buchdr. = Buchdrucker(ei) = printer, press

 

Buchhändler = bookseller

 

Buchhandlung = bookshop

 

bzw. = beziehungsweise and/or ca. = circa

 

Chefredakteur = editor-in-chief

 

d. = der, die, das = the

 

dat. = datiert = dated

 

Deckel = covers

 

d. i. = das ist = that is, i. e.

 

Ders. = Derselbe = the same

 

Dichtung = poetry, fiction

 

Dr. = Drucker(ei) = printer, press

 

Druck = impression, print

 

dt. = deutsch = German

 

durchgearb. = durchgearbeitet = revised, reworked

 

durchges. = durchgesehene = revised

 

EA = Erste Ausgabe = first edition

 

Ecke(n) = corner(s)

 

eh. = eigenhändig = autograph

 

Eh. Br. = eigenhändiger Brief = handwritten letter

 

Einbd = Einband = binding

 

Einf. = Einführung = introduction

 

eingeb. = eingebunden = bound-in (or tipped-in)

 

Einl. = Einleitung = introduction

 

Eintragung = note

 

engl. = englisch = English

 

enth. = enthält = contains / includes

 

Ergänzung = supplement

 

ersch. = erschienen = published

 

erw. = erweitet = enlarged

 

Erzählung = short story

 

etw. = etwas = rather / somewhat

 

Ex. = Exemplar = copy

 

Exlib. = Exlibris = previous owner book label / bookplate

 

Faks. = Faksimile = facsimile

 

Faltbl. = Faltblatt = folding leaf

 

farb. = farbig = coloured

 

fehlt = missing

 

fingerfl. = fingerfleckig = finger mark stains / thumbed

 

Folge = series

 

Forsch. = forsche(n) = research, to research (verb)

 

Forsch. = Forschung = research (noun)

 

fortgesetzt = continued

 

Forts. = Fortsetzung = continuation

 

franz. = französisch = French

 

Frontisp. = Frontispiz = frontispiece

 

ganzs. = ganzseitig = full-page (illustrations)

 

geb. = gebunden = bound

 

gebl. = gebleicht = faded / sunned

 

gebr. = gebräunt = foxed

 

Gebrsp. = Gebrauchsspuren = traces of use

 

gefalt. = gefaltet = folded

 

Gelenk = hinge

 

gepl. = geplatzt = broken / cracked

 

ger. = gering = slightly

 

Geschichte = history

 

Ges. = Gesellschaft = society

 

gest. = gestochen = engraved

 

Goldgepr. = goldgeprägt = gilt-stamped

 

Goldschn. = Goldschnitt = edges gilt

 

Gr. = gross = large

 

Halbbd. = Halbband = half-volume

 

halbseit. = halbseitig = half-page

 

Hldr = Halbleder = half leather

 

Hldrbd. = Halblederband = half leather bound

 

Hln = Halbleinen = half cloth

 

Hlwdbd. = Halbleinwandband = half cloth bound

 

Heft = no. (often used with periodical / journal no.), part, booklet, pamphlet

 

Holzschn. = Holzschnitt(e) = woodcut(s)

Holzst. = Holzstich(e) = wood engraving(s)

 

Hpgtbd. = Halbpergament = half vellum bound

 

Hrsg. = Herausgeber, herausgegeben = editor, edited

 

Hs., handschr. = Handschrift, handschriftlich = manuscript

Ill. = Illustrationen / illustriert = illustrations, illustrated

 

Inhaltsverz. = Inhaltsverzeichnis = table of contents

 

insges. = insgesamt = altogether

 

J. = Jahr = year

 

Jahrg. = Jahrgang = volume, annual, year

 

jährlich = annual

 

Jh. = Jahrhundert = century

 

kanadische = Canadian

 

kart = kartoniert = paperback

or

Kart. = Kartonage = boards (context is everything)

 

Kat. = Katalog(e) = catalogue(s)

 

kl. = klein = small

 

kolor. = koloriert = coloured

 

Kopfgoldschnitt = top edge gilt

 

Kopfschnitt = top edge

 

korrig. = korrigiert = corrected

 

Kupfer = Kupferstich(e) = copper engraving(s)

 

läd. = lädiert = damaged

 

Ldrbd. = Lederband = leather bound

 

Leseex. = Leseexemplar = ARC or advanced reading copy

 

Lfg. = Lieferung = issue, no., part

 

lichtrand. = lichtrandig = sunned / faded

 

Ln = Leinen/ Leinwand = cloth

 

locker = loose, shaken

 

Lwdbd. = Leinwandband = cloth bound

 

m. = mit = with

 

m.U. = mit Umschlag = with dustjacket

or

m.U. = mit Unterschrift = signed, autographed

 

marmoriert = marbled

 

Mitteilung = communication

 

monatlich = monthly

 

Monatsheft = monthly (publication)

 

Monatsschrift = monthly (publication)

 

mont. = montiert = mounted

 

Nach. = Nachtrag = appendix

 

N. = name

 

Neuausg. = Neuausgabe = reprint / new edition

 

Neudruck = reprint

 

nn. = nicht numeriert = not numbered, unpaginated

 

Novelle = short novel

 

Nr. = Nummer = number

 

O = original

 

o.J. = ohne Jahr = no date (of publication)

 

o.O. = ohne Ort = no place (of publication)

 

Pgt/ Prgt = Pergament = parchment, vellum

 

Pgtbd. = Pergamentband = bound in vellum

 

Pl. = Platte = plate

 

Ppbd = Pappband = (bound) in boards

 

Priv. = Privat = Private(bound) / not original binding / rebound

 

Qu. = Quer = oblong

 

Raubdr. = Raubdruck = pirated edition

 

Rdk., Redak. = Redakteur = editor

 

redigiert = edited

 

Register = index

 

Reihe = series

 

revid. = revidiert = revised

 

Roman = novel

 

Rsch. = Rückenschild = spine label

 

Rtit. = Rückentitel = title on spine

 

Rücken = spine

 

Rundschau = review

 

S. = Seite(n) = page(s)

 

Schauspiel = play

 

schief(gelesen) = cocked spine

 

Schmutztit. = Schmutztitel = half-title page

 

Schnitt = Edges (of the block)

 

Schutzumschlag = dustjacket

 

Sehr gut = very good

 

Sehr gut erhalten = very good condition

 

Seite(n) = page(s)

 

selten = rare

 

sign. = signiert = signed

 

Silbergepr. = silbergeprägt = silver-stamped

 

Sitzungs. = Sitzungsberichte = proceedings

 

Slg. = Sammlung = collection

 

Sonderab. = Sonderabdruck = offprint

 

Sonderheft = supplement (ie. periodical)

 

Sp. = Spalten = columns

 

stärk. = stärker = rather strongly

 

stellenw. = stellenweise = partly, occasionally

 

St. = Stempel = stamp

 

Stempel auf Vorsatzblatt = stamp on fly-leaf

 

Stockfl. = Stockflecken = foxing

 

Tabelle(n) = table(s)

 

Taf. = Tafel(n) = plate(s)

 

Tafelss. = Tafelseiten = numbered plates

 

Tagungsberichte = proceedings

 

Tl(e). = Teile(e) = part(s), volume(s)

 

teilw. = teilweise = partly

 

Textholzschn. - Textholzschnitt(e) - woodcut(s) in the text (see holzschn.)

 

Textverl. = Textverlust = loss of text

 

Titel = title page

 

Tsd. = Tausend = thousand(s)

 

U., Umschl. = Umschlag = dust jacket / dust wrapper

or

U. = Unterschrift = signature

 

u. = und = and

 

u.a. = und andere/unter anderem = and others

 

überarb. = überarbeitet = revised

 

übersetzen = to translate

 

Übers. = Übersetzung, übersetzt = translation, translated by

 

Ãœbertragung = translation

 

umgearb. = umgearbeitet = revised

 

unbeschn. = unbeschnitten = uncut

 

undat. = undatiert = n.d. / no date

 

unpag. = Nicht paginiert = unpaginated

 

Unterstr. = Unterstreichungen = scoring / scored

 

Urheb. = Urheberrecht = copyright

 

usw. = und so weiter = and so on

 

v. = von = by / of

 

verändert = revised

 

verbess. = verbessert = improved

 

verbl. = verblichen, verblasst = faded

 

verbunden = misbound / signatures mixed

 

vereinz. = vereinzelt = occasional

 

vergr. = vergriffen = out-of-print

 

Verhand. = Verhandlungen = proceedings

 

Vlg. = Verlag = publisher

 

Verlag von = published by

 

vermehrt = expanded / enlarged

 

Versammlung = conference

 

Vors. = Vorsatz(blatt) = free endpaper / fly / flyleaf / blank

 

Vorw. = Vorwort = preface, foreword

also

Vorb. = Vorbemerkung = preface

and

Vorrede = preface

 

Vorzugsausg. = Vorzugsausgabe = limited edition

 

wasserfl. = wasserfleckig = waterstained

 

wasserr. = wasserrandig = margins waterstained

 

WBG = Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft = publisher

 

Widm. = Widmung = dedication / dedicated / presentation copy

 

Wörterbuch = dictionary

 

zahlr. = zahlreich(en) = numerous

 

Z./d.Z. oder d. Zt. = der Zeit = contemporary

 

z.B. = zum Beispiel = for example

 

z.T. = zum Teil = partly

 

Ztschr. = Zeitschrift = periodical, review

 

zus. = zusammengestellt = compiled

________________________________________

Note: Modern equivalents of "alte schrift" deutsch can be found at:

http://www.library.yale.edu/cataloging/music/fraktur.htm

http://www.beerstein.net/articles/alpha.htm