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Software Localisation (L10N) Course 2

Colours (4/10)

Another element present in all software components which translators and localisers should also keep an eye on are colours. Since colours can have different meanings in different cultures, they should also be adapted to the target culture; otherwise, they can be incorrectly interpreted. It is also a widespread practice to prefer the national colours – e.g. of the country flag in a specific country – for example, for the design of websites.

The table contains some examples of colours with their corresponding meanings in different cultures (c.f. Schmitz, 2005a:12).