Is “for true” valid English?

Question

I have an English-language version of my Finnish birth certificate. It is called an "extract from the population system".

The last paragraph, showing the name of the issuing autority, the place, date and stamp, is headlined by

For true extract from the Population Information System in Finland

This is the complete headline.

I assume what it means is that it's an official document - it has a seal and all. But is "for true" really valid English? I have never heard it used this way. Or is it a mistake?

Answer 1

The phrase is saying that the document is:

For the purposes of true extract from the Population Information System in Finland

A true extract is a legalese term used to mean an extract that has been certified in some fashion. For example, the Australia Taxation Administration Act contains:

(2) Where, pursuant to a State tax law, a copy is made of a document, a State taxation officer may certify the copy to be a true copy.

(3) Where a document is obtained pursuant to a State tax law, a State taxation officer may certify an extract taken from the document to be a true extract.

Because the document you have is called "extract from the population system", the headline is saying that it is created to be a certified extract. It could also be saying that the undersigned authority is "certifying this true extract from the..."

Another example of its use is A true extract out of the Commons journal of the most principal proceedings of that honourable House, in this last short meeting; in order to the preservation of the King and kingdom from the growth of popery, and also for reducing the growing greatness of France.

However, as FumbleFingers points out the phrase "for true extract" is probably just a poor translation. A quick Google search of the phrase yields dictionaries for translation rather than other instances of the phrase in common usage. So "true extract" is fine, but the phrase "for true extract" is likely a bad translation of a longer phrase.

Answer 2

Pekka, I am assuming that this is what you are referring to.

While not grammatically correct or "valid english", its use is accurate—just poorly written. Essentially it is an incomplete sentence.

Better wording on the form would have been "Below is the place for the true extract from the Population Information System in Finland."

It is most likely pointing to a space on the form that you would include (or attach) the extract you are required to obtain prior to your interview.