Guidance on Original Title

[Michael]

Kundera's L'identité was originally written in French and published in 1998, but it appeared already in 1997, translated into Italian, as L'identità.

What about the original title? It boils down to the question: Do you stick with the first published title (even when translated, which would undermine the "original") or with the original language (even when translations appeared before the original)?

And original publication date should be 1997 or 1998?

Thank you for your guidance. This case is not unique and serves just as an example.

[Paula]

The original published date is that of the work. If a translation of the work was published first, then I would say that is the original published date of the work as a whole not of the edition in its original language

[Michael]

Paula wrote: "The original published date is that of the work. If a translation of the work was published first, then I would say that is the original published date of the work as a whole not of the edition in ..."

Thank you Paula. That takes care of the orig pub date.

What about the orig title?

[Arenda]

I'd say the original title should be the title it was originally written in. Even when a translation is published earlier, that translation was still translated from the original, even though the original was not yet officially published at that moment.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

I agree with Paula and Arenda.

[Michael]

Thank you.

Summary:
- Orig Title: always in original language
- Orig Pub Date: earliest publication (may be translation)

Could this please find it's way into the Manual?