The name-tag-list option
This option was suggested by dtucny for use in Chinese maps. It has been implemented in the first stage of the recent overhaul of the style system. It can be built into a style or it can be given as one of the command line arguments. If the option occurs both in the style and as an option then the option overrides the built in value.
Lets say you want to build a map of Wales. Many places and street names have both English and Welsh names. To build a map with Welsh names you could use the following option
--name-tag-list=name:cy
This would give a map with only names marked as being in Welsh. But not every feature has a name:cy tag because for example the Welsh name is the only name so that was set as name or because of incomplete data. To solve this you can give a list of name tags. The first one found is the one that will be used.
--name-tag-list=name:cy,name
Now if the welsh variant of the name does not exist, the plain name will be used instead.
A map with English names could similarly be made with the following option:
--name-tag-list=name:en,name