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Headwords
The name or title at the top of an entry page on https://usaybia.net is a "headword." It is also used in lists and search results as the title of the entry.
The headword should be specific enough to identify the person, place, or work, but not more.
In the TEI document, headwords are persName, placeName, or title elements marked with the attribute @srophe-tags="#syriaca-headword". Only one name or title per language should be marked with this attribute.
Wherever possible, both an English and an Arabic version of the headword should be provided. English headwords are typically drawn from the LHOM index, and Arabic headwords should parallel the composition and spelling of these, even if that particular Arabic form is not attested anywhere. (Other Arabic forms, including names attested in the text of Ibn Abī Uṣaybiʿa, should be given as alternate names.)
For example, if the English headword is ʿAbd al-Laṭīf ibn Yūsuf al-Baghdādī, the Arabic headword should be عبد اللطيف بن يوسف البغدادي. Other variants, such as موفق الدين عبد اللطيف البغدادي can be provided as alternate names.
Arabic headwords are not fully vocalized. Vowel diacritics are provided only where the pronunciation would otherwise be ambiguous.
Titles can be included in the headword if they are part of how the person is typically known (e.g., "Isḥāq al-Ṭabīb"). These should not be translated into English (not "Isḥāq the doctor"), but any information from the title (e.g., "doctor," "caliph," "patriarch") should be included in the Identity section.
"Bin" and "Ibn" in Arabic names should always be written as "ibn" in the English headword (not as "bin" or "b.").
If the name is for an ancient Greek person (thus the Arabic name is secondary), the English headword should reflect the typical English form (e.g., "Ptolemy"). An alternative form should be given that is the transliteration of the Arabic. The vocalization can often be found at https://ismi.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de. If it is not found either in the text of Ibn Abi Usaybia or at ISMI, leave the Arabic headword blank.
Any name elements that are missing from the Arabic and cannot be found attested or likely reconstructed should be left out of the Arabic headword.
Numerals such as I, II, III should have their Arabic equivalents spelled out as words (e.g., الثاني for II).
When a person is well-known by a particular part of the name, this should be given first, separated by a comma. E.g., "al-Kindī, Yaʿqūb ibn Isḥaq." A parallel form should be used for the Arabic headword, but the Arabic name in its typical order should be provided as an alternate name.
Parentheses should not typically be used in headwords. (Where these come from the LHOM index, the name in parentheses should be given as an alternate name.) An exception is made when a Latinized form is well known, to help with searches. The Latinized form should be provided in parentheses after the transliterated form (e.g., "Ibn Rushd (Averroes)").
To the extent possible, question marks should be eliminated from headwords. Question marks enclosed by parentheses ("(?)") are allowed for alternate names when it cannot be determined whether the name or its spelling is correct. Only if the most basic form of the name is in question should a question mark (in parentheses) appear in the headword. The question mark should be given in the Arabic headword as well if the Arabic text is in doubt.
These are the remains of the index conversion process and should not be included in headwords. They indicate alternate forms. For "see", use the form after "see" as the headword. For "or" or "/", use the first form as the headword.
Specific elements within names are formatted using lowercase letters. For instance, the particles "bi", " bi-Allāh" and "bi-amr Allāh" are consistently written in small case.
To simplify long head words, consult reputable sources such as Ibn Abi Usaybia (IAU)/LHOM and the Encyclopedia of Islam to research the frequent name components. Identify the elements that commonly appear in these sources. Retain the essential parts of the name, including the kunya (which often starts with "Abu" for "father of" or "Umm" for "mother of"), the primary given name, and the name indicating the first generation, usually the father's name or the first significant ancestor in the lineage. Remove all parts of the name that are not essential for identification (according to your above research) and that indicate subsequent generations beyond the first one, as well as any additional titles, honorifics, or repetitive elements that are not part of the primary kunya, given name, or first-generation name.
Insert Latinized names in the column "Latinized Name from LHOM." For well-known figures, verify and decide on a case-by-case basis.
If you need to reconstruct a name in any way, remove the LHOM Name (at the very beginning) and set it as an "Alternate Name." Enter the reconstruction in the column "Reconstructed English headword (LHOM-Style)," and place the questionable name part in parentheses.
If the Arabic version of a name in a different language is given and if its short vowels are ambiguous, a conjectural reconstruction should be added. It can go in the column "Conjectural reconstruction of English headword (LHOM-Style)".