Glossary entry (derived from question below)
Sep 9, 2015 11:51
8 yrs ago
28 viewers *
English term
Sr.
English
Law/Patents
Government / Politics
What does Sr. stand for in the application below? Does it mean title? Thanks!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5QwklUeAEMlWl9maDU5MGZpV2c...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5QwklUeAEMlWl9maDU5MGZpV2c...
Responses
| 3 +6 | serial number |
Charles Davis
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| 2 | signature |
Adrian Liszewski
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| 2 | Sr., Jr. III, II, etc. |
Kelsey Donk
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Change log
Sep 23, 2015 04:16: Charles Davis Created KOG entry
Responses
+6
1 hr
Selected
serial number
I think this is probably a short form of "Sr. No.", which in turn is an abbreviation of "serial number".
This is a rather strange and not altogether correct use of "serial number", but it is very common on documents in English in the country in question (United Arab Emirates). When they have a table of some kind they very often have a column headed "Sr. No."; what they seem to mean by it is simply index number or item number: a numbering of the entries in sequence so as to be able to identify them.
If this is right, there are two anomalies here: first, that it has "Sr." alone and not "Sr.No." (but the latter wouldn't fit in the box, which is very narrow) and second, that it is the last column rather than the first. Nevertheless, given how often this seems to occur in the UAE, I think it's probably the answer.
Tables don't display well here, but let me give some examples. There are two here, a table of institutions and a list of committee members. Both have a "Sr. No." column, which simply numbers the entries, 01, 02, 03...
http://www.kunhimangalam.com/PayyanurCollege.asp
Another example, this time a blank table in which to enter authorised signatories for a bank account. Again, there is a "Sr. No." column (see p. 2):
http://www.uab.ae/cms/images/stories/reports/edoc_instructio...
There are quite a lot more; look for "Sr. No." in UAE site.
As for Sr. No. meaning serial number, which is quite standard, see here, for example:
"Short Description: Slab serial number
Short Label(Max length): Sr.no(10)
Medium Label(Max length): Serial number(15)
Long Label(Max length): Slab serial number(20)"
http://www.se80.co.uk/saptabfields/v/v_t7/v_t7inu5-srlno.htm
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Note added at 1 hr (2015-09-09 13:24:11 GMT)
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A further advantage of including a column of this kind in a table, apart from ease of reference, is that if the table is in a speadsheet program you can easily restore the initial order after sorting the data in a different order.
This is a rather strange and not altogether correct use of "serial number", but it is very common on documents in English in the country in question (United Arab Emirates). When they have a table of some kind they very often have a column headed "Sr. No."; what they seem to mean by it is simply index number or item number: a numbering of the entries in sequence so as to be able to identify them.
If this is right, there are two anomalies here: first, that it has "Sr." alone and not "Sr.No." (but the latter wouldn't fit in the box, which is very narrow) and second, that it is the last column rather than the first. Nevertheless, given how often this seems to occur in the UAE, I think it's probably the answer.
Tables don't display well here, but let me give some examples. There are two here, a table of institutions and a list of committee members. Both have a "Sr. No." column, which simply numbers the entries, 01, 02, 03...
http://www.kunhimangalam.com/PayyanurCollege.asp
Another example, this time a blank table in which to enter authorised signatories for a bank account. Again, there is a "Sr. No." column (see p. 2):
http://www.uab.ae/cms/images/stories/reports/edoc_instructio...
There are quite a lot more; look for "Sr. No." in UAE site.
As for Sr. No. meaning serial number, which is quite standard, see here, for example:
"Short Description: Slab serial number
Short Label(Max length): Sr.no(10)
Medium Label(Max length): Serial number(15)
Long Label(Max length): Slab serial number(20)"
http://www.se80.co.uk/saptabfields/v/v_t7/v_t7inu5-srlno.htm
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2015-09-09 13:24:11 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
A further advantage of including a column of this kind in a table, apart from ease of reference, is that if the table is in a speadsheet program you can easily restore the initial order after sorting the data in a different order.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Alison MacG
: Was just about to post this same answer. Here is a form I found (see page 1 with numbers 1-6 already inserted) http://www.trakhees.ae/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=4847...
2 mins
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That's a great reference; better than mine :) Sr. alone, and on the right, and clearly used in this sense. Thanks, Alison! (PS. Sorry I unwittingly pipped you at the post. It's already happened to me today the other way round.)
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| neutral |
Terry Richards
: That's an awfully narrow column for a serial number...
23 mins
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But Terry, it's not a real "serial number" as such. They're misusing the term, as I've said. Look at Alison's document. By "serial number" they just mean 1, 2, 3 etc. — they simply number the entries in sequence.
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| agree |
acetran
: Document belongs to UAE, which means originally in Arabic, which is read right to left. Verbatim translation to English keeps it right to left: Sr. No., Name, Nationality, Occupation, Address. Narrow Column is fine since it is just a single digit no.
31 mins
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Absolutely, and many thanks for the point about right to left. I suspected that was probably involved.
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| agree |
Shera Lyn Parpia
: Alison's link makes it very clear...
1 hr
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Yes indeed. Many thanks :)
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| agree |
AllegroTrans
5 hrs
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Thanks, Allegro :)
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
: clear from Alison's link
7 hrs
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Yes, putting that together with mine (which indicate that Sr. = Sr. No.) I think it wraps it up. Thanks :)
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| agree |
bestofbest
1 day 36 mins
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Thanks :)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
1 hr
Adrian Liszewski
Poland
Poland
Poland
Do it properly, or don't do it at all.
Native in: Polish
Works in: English to Polish, Polish to English, English
signature
This is my guess. Place for simplified signature.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Tony M
: As good a guess as any, given the cryptic context. But I'm not sure why this list of employees would need to initial anything on this form?
5 mins
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| neutral |
AllegroTrans
: much too small a space and very unlikely abbreviation ("Sig." would have been a possibility)
6 hrs
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1 hr
Kelsey Donk
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
United States
Accurate, efficient, and well-written
Native in: English
Works in: English, French to English, English to French
Sr., Jr. III, II, etc.
A guess, but I'm wondering if the Sr. could indicate that the employee should place name and then suffix? I'm not sure why this would be helpful in the context, but it's what came to mind.
For instance, James Merton III or Charles Beringer Sr. Perhaps I'm far off...
For instance, James Merton III or Charles Beringer Sr. Perhaps I'm far off...
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
AllegroTrans
: A VERY American way of doing things which I do not see used anywhere else in the world
5 hrs
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Discussion
The columns in your table curiously seem to be in the wrong order: Home address on the left, followed by Occupation, then Nationality, name, and finally this Sr.
If we were creating this form in EN, we'd probably start with 'Title' on the left, then Name, Nationality, Occupation, and lastly Home Address.
Clutching at straws, but it might be an avenue for further research.
Maybe you could find someone among our Arabic colleagues who could shed some light?
I think it is going to be impossible to guess this without a great deal more of the wider context; it is possible that a phone call to the company concerned would be the simplest and quickest way of resolving this issue.
It did just cross my mind that it might be a non-standard abbreviaition for 'signature', or (in view of the small space allowed) possibly intended for 'initials' — but I think this is probably some error induced by a writer coming from an Arab background and trying to reproduce in EN something that is in fact specific to their own culture; it might, for example, have been meant to indicate 'Title', as in Mr/Mrs/Ms etc.