Then, I became the editor-in-chief (another name for
proof-reader-in-chief) for the 10th TANA Conference Souvenir.
Suddenly, I was confronted with different styles of written
Telugu usage that I had to fit into a single 'style'. I had some notions
of what was right and what was not. But, when I tried to verify my
notions of right and wrong by referring to the various works that I had
available (Telugu newspapers, magazines, books, old and new texts), I
realized that there is no 'standard' form of usage. Each writer and
editor seems to be using things differently, sometimes in the same work.
Some of this inconsistency may even be due to the compositors and proof
readers themselves. The problem is particularly noticeable with word
breaks, more so when using compound words or words joined together with a
'sandhi'.
The appearance of the word on the printed page and the
convenience of reading it probably has a lot more to do with how the word
breaks are determined than a set of rules.
I am inclined to think that the early newspapers should have had
some type of indigenous guides to 'style' to ensure standardization
within that newspaper. Does anybody know if that is true?
Regards. --- V. Chowdary Jampala
PS: I solved my proof-reader's dilemma by developing my own set of rules
for that souvenir.