Appendix F - Initial Definite and Indefinite Articles
MARC 21 Bibliographic
October 2001
Second indicator position in the X30 (Uniform Title) fields (excluding field 830) and the second indicator position in fields
222 (Key Title), 240 (Uniform Title), 242 (Translation of Title by Cataloging Agency), 243 (Collective Uniform Title), 245
(Title Statement), 440 (Series Statement/Added Entry-Title), and 830 (Series Added Entry-Uniform Title) contain a numeric
value (0-9) that specifies the number of character positions associated with an initial definite or indefinite article to
be disregarded in sorting and filing processes. Initial articles may also simply be deleted in the formulation of the heading.
If the initial article is retained but is not to be disregarded in sorting and filing processes, the second indicator position
contains value 0.
The list below of definite and indefinite articles and the languages in which they are used is arranged alphabetically by
the article.
a |
English, |
Galician, |
Hungarian, |
Portuguese, |
Romanian, |
Scots, |
Yiddish, |
al- |
Arabic, |
Baluchi, |
Brahui, |
Panjabi (Perso-Arabic script), |
Persian, |
Turkish, |
Urdu |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Note: al- is meant to cover all of the spellings in romanization (e.g., "as" in "as-sijill"))
|
an |
English, |
Irish, |
Scots, |
Scottish Gaelic, |
Yiddish |
an t- |
Irish, |
Scottish Gaelic |
de |
Danish, |
Dutch, |
English, |
Frisian, |
Norwegian, |
Swedish |
den |
Danish, |
German, |
Norwegian, |
Swedish |
det |
Danish, |
Norwegian, |
Swedish, |
die |
Afrikaans, |
German, |
Yiddish, |
ein |
German, |
Norwegian, |
Walloon, |
en |
Catalan, |
Danish, |
Norwegian, |
Swedish |
hai |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
hē |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
ho |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
hoi |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
il |
Italian, |
Provencal/Occitan |
l' |
Catalan, |
French, |
Italian, |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Walloon |
la |
Catalan, |
Esperanto, |
French, |
Italian, |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Spanish |
las |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Spanish |
le |
French, |
Italian, |
Provencal/ Occitan |
les |
Catalan, |
French, |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Walloon |
lo |
Italian, |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Spanish |
los |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Spanish |
'n |
Afrikaans, |
Dutch, |
Frisian |
na |
Hawaiian, |
Irish, |
Scottish Gaelic |
na h- |
Irish, |
Scottish Gaelic |
o |
Galician, |
Hawaiian, |
Portuguese, |
Romanian |
ta |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
tēn |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
tēs |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
to |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
ton |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
tōn |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
tou |
Classical Greek, |
Greek |
un |
Catalan, |
French, |
Italian, |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Romanian, |
Spanish |
una |
Catalan, |
Italian, |
Provencal/Occitan, |
Spanish |
uno |
Italian, |
Provencal/Occitan |