This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s Maithili Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Maithili translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Maithili translator reference by ChatsControl.
Maithili Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶
TL;DR¶
- Maithili uses Devanagari script but does NOT use Nuqta — strictly avoid Nuqta even though it appears in Hindi.
- Use Purn Viram (।) for full stop; other punctuation uses English symbols.
- Address the user with अहाँ (polite second-person) — never तू, तों, ओ; tone is formal, respectful.
- No capitalization (single form per letter); no plural inflection for abbreviations/acronyms (keep NGOs in Roman).
- Date format DD/MM/YYYY; ampersand → आ/आओर in running text.
- TL;DR
- Register and tone for Maithili translation
- Grammar, syntax, and orthographic conventions
- Inclusive language
- Applications, products, features
- Trademarks
- Reference materials
- FAQ
- What’s the modern register for Maithili translation across professional contexts?
- Why must Nuqta be avoided in Maithili translation?
- How are punctuation marks adapted from English to Maithili?
- How does Maithili handle plurals and inflection of foreign abbreviations?
- What authoritative Maithili language references should I use?
- Sources
Register and tone for Maithili translation¶
The Maithili Microsoft voice is warm, clear, and ready to lend a hand. Write short, easy-to-read sentences. Do NOT translate literally. Be pleasant, ensure explanations are appropriate for the target audience.
Tone for Microsoft privacy content: FORMAL. Always respectful, generous, and free from gender/age/region sensitivity bias.
Form of address: always use अहाँ (polite second-person) when addressing the user — NEVER तू, तों, ओ.
Don’t translate literally¶
Literal translations fail to convey meaning and sound unnatural. If necessary, split or merge sentences.
| Source | Use this | Not this |
|---|---|---|
| You may notice a new look. In August 2024, we updated our Privacy at Microsoft websites with a modern design built on a more secure platform. | आब अहाँ केँ हमर सभक Microsoft वेबसाइट देखए मे नव लागि सकैत अछि। अगस्त 2024 मे Microsoft वेबसाइट पर हमसभ अपन गोपनीयता केँ बेसी सुरक्षित प्लेटफॉर्म पर बनाओल गेल आधुनिक डिजाइनक संग अपडेट कयलहुँ अछि। | अहाँ केँ नव लुक देखि सकैत अछि। अगस्त 2024 मे हमसभ Microsoft केर वेबसाइट पर अपन गोपनीयता केँ बेसी सुरक्षित प्लेटफॉर्म पर बनाओल गेल आधुनिक डिजाइनक संग अपडेट कयलहुँ अछि। |
| We hope this page will help you, as a young person, learn about and understand Microsoft’s privacy practices and how to use our products in a way that protects your privacy. | हमसभ उम्मीद करैत छी जे ई पेज एकटा युवाक रूपमे, Microsoft केर गोपनीयता प्रथासभक विषय मे जानए आ बुझए मे मदछित करत आ बताओत कि हमर सभक उत्पादक उपयोग कोन तरह सँ कयल जाउ जाहि सँ अहाँक गोपनीयता सुरक्षित रहए। | उम्मीद अछि जे ई पेज एकटा युवा केर रूप मे अहाँ केँ Microsoft केर गोपनीयता प्रथा केँ जानए आ बुझए मे सहायक होइत आ बताओत कि हमर सभक उत्पादक उपयोग केनाइ करू जाहि सँ अहाँक गोपनीयता सुरक्षित बनल रहए। |
Why this matters: Bureaucratic register damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing it kills engagement. In patient-facing medical materials it reduces comprehension. In software UI it creates friction. In consumer-facing legal documents plain language is increasingly mandated.
Grammar, syntax, and orthographic conventions¶
Abbreviations¶
Plural form NOT used in Maithili — if abbreviations in source are plural, keep them in Roman.
Common abbreviations: - kilogram → किग्रा - kilometer → किमी - no. → न. - millimeter → मिमी - centimeter → सेमी
When source contains a period (.), preserve the period.
Acronyms¶
Plural forms NOT in use in Maithili — keep plural source acronyms in Roman: NGOs, ATMs.
Spelling out English acronym first time¶
Format: spell out in Maithili first, followed by acronym in parentheses.
- NATO (एनएटीओ-नाटो)
- RAM (आरएएम-रैम)
Acronyms kept in English¶
Due to wide acceptance: - PIN, ID, IT, Wi-Fi
Capitalization¶
Capitalization does NOT apply to Maithili. Single form per letter.
Punctuation¶
Purn Viram¶
Always use Purn Viram (।) for full stop.
Other marks¶
Comma (,), exclamation (!), question mark (?) use the SAME symbols as English.
Bulleted lists¶
Follow source. Consider whether bullet text is a complete sentence.
| Source | Target |
|---|---|
| • Improve and develop our products. • Personalize our products and make recommendations. |
• हमर सभक उत्पाद सभ केँ बेहतर बनाउ आ विकसित करू। • हमर सभक उत्पाद सभ केँ व्यक्तिकृत करू आ सुझाव दिअ। |
Hyphen¶
Used for compound words, line breaks, page numbers/dates/intervals, relationship between two concepts.
| Source | Target |
|---|---|
| third-party account | तेसर-पक्ष खाता |
| Pages 30-52 | पेज 30-52 |
En dash¶
(Alt + 0150 or Ctrl + - on numpad). For arithmetic operations and negative numbers.
| Source | Target |
|---|---|
| Temperature is -10°C. | तापमान -10°C अछि। |
Em dash¶
(Alt + 0151 or Ctrl + Alt + - on numpad). Em dash is NOT prevalent in Maithili — AVOID. Use comma, parentheses, or new sentence.
| Source | Target | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Search and browse products connect you with information and intelligently sense, process, and act on information—learning and adapting over time. | खोज आ ब्राउज फंक्शनलिटी अहाँ केँ उत्पादक जानकारी दैत अछि आ जानकारी पर बुद्धिमत्ता क संग, काज कए ओकर बुझैत अछि, प्रोसेस करैत अछि आ समय केर संग संग ओहि जानकारी केँ सीखैत जाइत अछि आ अनुकूलित होइत अछि। | Translation is more natural without em dash |
Quotation marks¶
Used to emphasize a word, syntax, command, or refer to UI items. Follow source style (straight or curly).
| Source | Target |
|---|---|
| On the website and in the app, users enter “prompts” that provide instructions to Copilot (e.g., “Give me recommendations for a restaurant that accommodates parties of 10 near me”). | वेबसाइट आ एप पर, उपयोगकर्ता “प्रॉम्प्ट” सभ दर्ज करैत अछि जे कोपायलट केँ निर्देशित करैत अछि (उदाहरण लेल, “हमर लग पास मे 10 लोकनिक लेल पार्टी केर व्यवस्था करए वला रेस्तरांक दिअ”). |
Usage of Nuqta¶
STRICTLY AVOIDED in Maithili. Nuqta is a Devanagari diacritic used in Hindi for borrowed sounds from Urdu/Arabic/Persian/English. Maithili does NOT use Nuqta.
Numbers, symbols, and non-breaking spaces¶
Numbers¶
In documentation, numbers 1-10 spelled out; others as numerals.
Non-breaking space¶
Between numeral and symbol/unit: 30 cm, 1 h, 75 %, 20 °C.
Ampersand¶
Translate “&” as “आ/आओर” in running text. Don’t keep “&” unless part of tag/placeholder/shortcut/code.
| Source | Target |
|---|---|
| Cookies & Similar Technologies | कूकीज आ समान तकनीक सभ |
Date¶
Format: DD/MM/YYYY. - 26/03/2025
When only month and year: Month YYYY.
| Source | Target |
|---|---|
| Last updated March 2024 | अंतिम अपडेट मार्च 2024 मे भेल अछि |
Inclusive language¶
Comply with local language laws. Use plain language. Don’t generalize/stereotype.
Replacement vocabulary¶
| Use | Avoid | Maithili: use | Maithili: avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| expert | guru | गुरु | उस्ताद, मास्टर साहेब |
| colleagues, everyone, all | guys; ladies and gentlemen | लड़का, स्त्री, भले लोक | गाउड़ा, महिला, जेंटलमैन |
Avoiding gender bias¶
Use gender-neutral alternatives. Avoid compounds with gender-specific terms (पुरुष, स्त्री).
| Use | Avoid | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| नेता | महिला नेता, नेरी | “नेता” used for both man and woman leader |
| अध्यक्ष | अध्यक्षा | “अध्यक्ष” used for both genders |
| बैटर | बैट्समैन, बैट्सवुमैन | “बैटर” for both genders |
When generalizing, use plural noun forms (लोक, ओ, विद्यार्थी).
Don’t use gendered pronouns (ओ लड़की/स्त्री, ओ लड़का/पुरुष). Instead: - Rewrite to use second or third person (अहाँ or ओ) - Rewrite to plural noun and pronoun - Use articles instead of pronoun (दस्तावेज instead of हुनक दस्तावेज) - Refer to role (पाठक, कर्मी, ग्राहक, क्लाइंट) - Use व्यक्ति or व्यक्ति विशेष
Accessibility¶
Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words implying pity (साँ ग्रसित, साँ पीड़ित). Don’t mention disability unless relevant.
| Use | Avoid | Maithili: use | Maithili: avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| person with a disability | handicapped | दिव्यांग, निःशक्त | विकलांग, कन्ह, अंधा, बौना |
| person without a disability | normal/healthy person | निःशक्त रहित व्यक्ति | सामान्य व्यक्ति, स्वस्थ व्यक्ति |
| Select | Click | चुनू | क्लिक करू |
Spell out एवं, प्लस, अबाउट for screen readers (instead of &, +, ~).
Applications, products, features¶
Trademarked. Rarely translated. Verify before translating.
Version numbers¶
Always contain period (Version 4.2 → वर्जन 4.2).
Trademarks¶
Trademarked names and “Microsoft Corporation” not localized unless local laws require translation with approved form.
Reference materials¶
Approved terminology in translation editing environment + Microsoft Terminology Search.
Normative references:
- IGNCA Kalyani — Maithili reference at ignca.gov.in/coilnet/kalyani.htm
- maithiligrammar.wordpress.com — Maithili grammar
If multiple spellings acceptable, use the one in Microsoft-approved terminology.
FAQ¶
What’s the modern register for Maithili translation across professional contexts?¶
Formal, respectful, generous. Tone should be free from gender, age, and region sensitivity bias. Address users with अहाँ (lowercase polite second-person). Don’t translate literally — get the intended meaning across naturally. Avoid slang; be careful with colloquialisms. Acceptable to be conversational, but stay professional.
Why must Nuqta be avoided in Maithili translation?¶
The Nuqta is a diacritic dot in Devanagari script used to mark sounds borrowed from Urdu/Arabic/Persian/English. Hindi uses Nuqta extensively in some borrowed words. Maithili, however, does NOT use Nuqta even in the same script. Translators must strictly avoid Nuqta in all Maithili text — its presence signals incorrect Hindi-style spelling in what should be Maithili-standard text.
How are punctuation marks adapted from English to Maithili?¶
End sentences with Purn Viram (।) — never a Latin period. Comma (,), exclamation (!), and question mark (?) use the SAME symbols as English. Em dash (—) is uncommon in Maithili — avoid it; replace with comma, parentheses, or a new sentence. Quotation marks follow source style (straight or curly). Non-breaking space goes between numeral and unit (30 cm, 75 %).
How does Maithili handle plurals and inflection of foreign abbreviations?¶
Maithili has no grammatical plural inflection for abbreviations or acronyms. If the English source has plural NGOs, ATMs — keep it in Roman script unchanged (NGOs, ATMs), don’t try to create a Maithili plural form. Maithili also has no capitalization — every letter has only one form (single shape, no upper/lower).
What authoritative Maithili language references should I use?¶
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts — Kalyani Maithili Project (ignca.gov.in/coilnet/kalyani.htm) for vocabulary and reference material. maithiligrammar.wordpress.com for grammar. Use Microsoft Terminology Search for product-name spellings. When multiple spellings are acceptable, always use the one in Microsoft-approved terminology.