Commons:Language policy

Shortcuts: COM:LP • COM:LANG • COM:NAME

Wikimedia Commons is a multilingual project. This page contains the project's policy on how multilingual content is used, and what content should be in which language. For the technical process of adaptation see Commons:Localization.

• Descriptions at galleries, categories and file description pages can be in any language and should be added in multiple languages. The use of language templates is encouraged to reduce the amount of unnecessary information and visual clutter.
• Gallery names should generally be in the local language. See Commons:Galleries for the exact policy.
• Category names should generally be in English, excepting some of proper names, biological taxa and terms which don't have an exact English equivalent. See Commons:Categories for the exact policy.
• Creator names should be in form most commonly found in English literature.

• Files can be named in any language. The name of the file should be descriptive. See Commons:File naming for the exact policy.

• Templates can be made in any language. When the text of a template is available in multiple languages, the English version is the authoritative version on which other language versions of the template should be based.
• Policies and guidelines are written in English and translated to other languages. The English version of the policy or guideline is the authoritative version on which other language versions are based.

History

The 2009 proposal that led to this language policy was itself translated into several languages including Commons:Sproche, Commons:Politikerezh yezh, Commons:Convencions de noms (idioma), Commons:Sprooch, Commons:Convencions de nomenatge (lenga), Commons:Języki, Commons:Política de línguas and Commons:语言政策.

See also

• Commons:Localization
• Commons:Translation possible/Learn more