by Kenneth E. Carpenter

The arrangement is basically geographical, and the numbering reflects that.  Within each geographical section, entries are in chronological order, subdivided by place of publication, and further subdivided alphabetically by the name of an editor or the first word of the title.

Each entry has a number that begins for the most part with a geographical designation, followed by the year of publication; and if there is more than one item under a year, the year is followed by a period and number.  Thus, there were 8 appearances published in the US in 1808, and these are designated as US1808.1, US1808.2, US1808.3, US1808.4, US1808.5, and US1808.6. The geographical approach means that a French translation published in a German schoolbook, which had no cultural influence in France, is listed under Germany, the place where it entered into the culture.

Problems do, however, exist with a strictly geographical arrangement. Editions published in Breton or Gaelic are lost if listed chronologically under Fr or Scot. These are, therefore, listed under the language, but with cross references. The problem is particularly acute with translations into Greek, of which there are two. Neither was published in Greece; one appeared in Paris, and one in Trieste (Tergeste). They are listed under Gr (Greek).

Another exception is made for editions published in London and Paris by exiles from other countries in languages other than English and French. They are here recorded as if published in the native linguistic area. Thus, a Spanish-language edition published in Paris in 1825, is recorded as if published in Spain. This modification of the strictly geographical approach is in keeping with the goal of showing the cultural area into which a text entered.

The following geographical and linguistic designations are used:

Arg – Argentina

Au – Australia

Aus – Austria

Bar – Barbados

Bel – Belgium

Bra – Brazil

Bre – Breton

Bul – Bulgaria

Can – Canada

Croat – Croatia

Cuba – Cuba

Czech – Czechoslovakia

Den – Denmark

Eng – England

Fin – Finland

Fr – France (Under Fr are listed eighteenth-century French-language works published outside of France)

Gael – Gaelic

Ger – Germany

Gr – Greek

Hun – Hungary

Ice – Iceland

Ire – Ireland

Ital – Italy

Neth – Netherlands

Nor – Norway

Pol – Poland

Port – Portugal

Rus – Russia

Scot – Scotland

Slovak – Slovakia

Sloven – Slovenia

Spa – Spain

Swe – Sweden

Swi – Switzerland (subdivided by SwiF, SwiG, SwiI, and SwiR, i.e., translations into French, German, Italian, and Romansch)

US – United States (and the US geographical area prior to independence)

Wales – Wales