Paul POULAIN said:
In french, for a given subscription (=abonnement), you wait for effective items. Repeated items are called "bulletins" (= explains the word "bulletinage" -see previous post-) What word should we use in english ? Items is very poor, as it's used for something else. In french, "numéro" is a synonym for "bulletin", and can be translated by "number". I think number is poor in english too.
In the US, libraries have "subscriptions" to "periodicals." For periodicals like news magazines, it's common to refer to individual "issues," as in "the May 15 2004 issue of Time magazine." Most periodicals are also numbered, with a volume (usually refering to a year of issues) and a number (refering to an individual issue. So the May 15 2004 issue of Time magazine may be "volume 12, number 18" and the next week's issue would be "volume 12, number 19," etc. (And the May 15 2005 issue will be "volume 13, number 18," etc.)
still in french, a "bulletin" that is late and will never arrive is called "lacune". I don't know the exact translation, but is "missing" OK ?
sounds OK, though "not received" may be clearer -- "missing" could mean it arrived, but the library lost it.
A "bulletin" that is late will be marked "late". Is this word correct ?
I'd say yes.
A "bulletin" that should arrive soon is marked "waited" (= ie : is planned, but not yet late). Is it correct ?
maybe "pending" would be better. Stephen -- Stephen Hedges Skemotah Solutions, USA www.skemotah.com -- shedges@skemotah.com