diff --git a/Filelist b/Filelist
index 42eaa1d..cd1325f 100644
--- a/Filelist
+++ b/Filelist
@@ -1028,6 +1028,8 @@
 		src/po/README_mvc.txt \
 		src/po/check.vim \
 		src/po/cleanup.vim \
+		src/po/tojavascript.vim \
+		src/po/fixfilenames.vim \
 		src/po/Makefile \
 		src/po/Make_all.mak \
 		src/po/Make_cyg.mak \
diff --git a/runtime/doc/eval.txt b/runtime/doc/eval.txt
index e0c8473..f1b6992 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/eval.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/eval.txt
@@ -2546,6 +2546,7 @@
 gettabwinvar({tabnr}, {winnr}, {name} [, {def}])
 				any	{name} in {winnr} in tab page {tabnr}
 gettagstack([{nr}])		Dict	get the tag stack of window {nr}
+gettext({text})			String	lookup translation of {text}
 getwininfo([{winid}])		List	list of info about each window
 getwinpos([{timeout}])		List	X and Y coord in pixels of the Vim window
 getwinposx()			Number	X coord in pixels of the Vim window
@@ -5827,6 +5828,19 @@
 		Can also be used as a |method|: >
 			GetWinnr()->gettagstack()
 
+
+gettext({text})						*gettext()*
+		Translate {text} if possible.
+		This is mainly for use in the distributed Vim scripts.  When
+		generating message translations the {text} is extracted by
+		xgettext, the translator can add the translated message in the
+		.po file and Vim will lookup the translation when gettext() is
+		called.
+		For {text} double quoted strings are preferred, because
+		xgettext does not understand escaping in single quoted
+		strings.
+
+
 getwininfo([{winid}])					*getwininfo()*
 		Returns information about windows as a |List| with Dictionaries.
 
diff --git a/runtime/doc/usr_41.txt b/runtime/doc/usr_41.txt
index 10e53ba..81474c7 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/usr_41.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/usr_41.txt
@@ -628,6 +628,7 @@
 	execute()		execute an Ex command and get the output
 	win_execute()		like execute() but in a specified window
 	trim()			trim characters from a string
+	gettext()		lookup message translation
 
 List manipulation:					*list-functions*
 	get()			get an item without error for wrong index
diff --git a/runtime/optwin.vim b/runtime/optwin.vim
index 5bb78cd..67601a8 100644
--- a/runtime/optwin.vim
+++ b/runtime/optwin.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 " These commands create the option window.
 "
 " Maintainer:	Bram Moolenaar <Bram@vim.org>
-" Last Change:	2020 Jun 10
+" Last Change:	2020 aug 30
 
 " If there already is an option window, jump to that one.
 let buf = bufnr('option-window')
@@ -145,13 +145,13 @@
 setlocal ts=15 tw=0 noro buftype=nofile
 
 " Insert help and a "set" command for each option.
-call append(0, '" Each "set" line shows the current value of an option (on the left).')
-call append(1, '" Hit <CR> on a "set" line to execute it.')
-call append(2, '"            A boolean option will be toggled.')
-call append(3, '"            For other options you can edit the value before hitting <CR>.')
-call append(4, '" Hit <CR> on a help line to open a help window on this option.')
-call append(5, '" Hit <CR> on an index line to jump there.')
-call append(6, '" Hit <Space> on a "set" line to refresh it.')
+call append(0, gettext('" Each "set" line shows the current value of an option (on the left).'))
+call append(1, gettext('" Hit <Enter> on a "set" line to execute it.'))
+call append(2, gettext('"            A boolean option will be toggled.'))
+call append(3, gettext('"            For other options you can edit the value before hitting <Enter>.'))
+call append(4, gettext('" Hit <Enter> on a help line to open a help window on this option.'))
+call append(5, gettext('" Hit <Enter> on an index line to jump there.'))
+call append(6, gettext('" Hit <Space> on a "set" line to refresh it.'))
 
 " These functions are called often below.  Keep them fast!
 
diff --git a/src/evalfunc.c b/src/evalfunc.c
index 62bbb88..fff7a89 100644
--- a/src/evalfunc.c
+++ b/src/evalfunc.c
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@
 static void f_getreginfo(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv);
 static void f_getregtype(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv);
 static void f_gettagstack(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv);
+static void f_gettext(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv);
 static void f_haslocaldir(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv);
 static void f_hasmapto(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv);
 static void f_hlID(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv);
@@ -667,6 +668,7 @@
     {"gettabvar",	2, 3, FEARG_1,	  ret_any,	f_gettabvar},
     {"gettabwinvar",	3, 4, FEARG_1,	  ret_any,	f_gettabwinvar},
     {"gettagstack",	0, 1, FEARG_1,	  ret_dict_any,	f_gettagstack},
+    {"gettext",		1, 1, FEARG_1,	  ret_string,	f_gettext},
     {"getwininfo",	0, 1, FEARG_1,	  ret_list_dict_any,	f_getwininfo},
     {"getwinpos",	0, 1, FEARG_1,	  ret_list_number,	f_getwinpos},
     {"getwinposx",	0, 0, 0,	  ret_number,	f_getwinposx},
@@ -3437,6 +3439,26 @@
     get_tagstack(wp, rettv->vval.v_dict);
 }
 
+/*
+ * "gettext()" function
+ */
+    static void
+f_gettext(typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv)
+{
+    if (argvars[0].v_type != VAR_STRING
+	    || argvars[0].vval.v_string == NULL
+	    || *argvars[0].vval.v_string == NUL)
+    {
+	semsg(_(e_invarg2), tv_get_string(&argvars[0]));
+    }
+    else
+    {
+	rettv->v_type = VAR_STRING;
+	rettv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave(
+					(char_u *)_(argvars[0].vval.v_string));
+    }
+}
+
 // for VIM_VERSION_ defines
 #include "version.h"
 
diff --git a/src/po/Makefile b/src/po/Makefile
index cce14a9..8ef93e6 100644
--- a/src/po/Makefile
+++ b/src/po/Makefile
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
 check: $(CHECKFILES)
 
+# installing for real
 install: $(MOFILES) $(MOCONVERTED)
 	@$(MAKE) prefixcheck
 	for lang in $(LANGUAGES); do \
@@ -61,6 +62,24 @@
 	  rm -f $(LOCALEDIR)/$$lang/LC_MESSAGES/$(PACKAGE).mo; \
 	done
 
+# installing for local tryout into ../../runtime/lang
+tryoutinstall: $(MOFILES) $(MOCONVERTED)
+	@$(MAKE) prefixcheck
+	for lang in $(LANGUAGES); do \
+	  dir=../../runtime/lang/$$lang/; \
+	  if test ! -x "$$dir"; then \
+	    mkdir $$dir; chmod 755 $$dir; \
+	  fi; \
+	  dir=../../runtime/lang/$$lang/LC_MESSAGES; \
+	  if test ! -x "$$dir"; then \
+	    mkdir $$dir; chmod 755 $$dir; \
+	  fi; \
+	  if test -r $$lang.mo; then \
+	    cp $$lang.mo $$dir/$(PACKAGE).mo; \
+	    chmod 644 $$dir/$(PACKAGE).mo; \
+	  fi; \
+	done
+
 converted: $(MOCONVERTED)
 
 # nl.po was added later, if it does not exist use a file with just a # in it
@@ -158,12 +177,34 @@
 checkclean:
 	rm -f *.ck
 
-$(PACKAGE).pot: ../*.c ../if_perl.xs ../GvimExt/gvimext.cpp ../globals.h ../if_py_both.h ../vim.h gvim.desktop.in vim.desktop.in
-	cd ..; $(XGETTEXT) --default-domain=$(PACKAGE) \
-		--add-comments --keyword=_ --keyword=N_ --keyword=NGETTEXT:1,2 \
-		*.c if_perl.xs GvimExt/gvimext.cpp globals.h if_py_both.h vim.h \
-		po/gvim.desktop.in po/vim.desktop.in
-	mv -f ../$(PACKAGE).po $(PACKAGE).pot
+PO_INPUTLIST = \
+	../*.c \
+	../if_perl.xs \
+	../GvimExt/gvimext.cpp \
+	../globals.h \
+	../if_py_both.h \
+	../vim.h \
+	gvim.desktop.in \
+	vim.desktop.in
+
+PO_VIM_INPUTLIST = \
+	../../runtime/optwin.vim
+
+PO_VIM_JSLIST = \
+	optwin.js
+
+$(PACKAGE).pot: $(PO_INPUTLIST) $(PO_VIM_INPUTLIST)
+	# Convert the Vim scripts to (what looks like) Javascript
+	$(VIM) -u NONE --not-a-term -S tojavascript.vim $(PACKAGE).pot $(PO_VIM_INPUTLIST)
+	# create vim.pot
+	$(XGETTEXT) --default-domain=$(PACKAGE) --add-comments \
+		--keyword=_ --keyword=N_ --keyword=NGETTEXT:1,2 \
+		$(PO_INPUTLIST) $(PO_VIM_JSLIST)
+	mv -f $(PACKAGE).po $(PACKAGE).pot
+	# Fix Vim scripts names, so that "gf" works
+	$(VIM) -u NONE --not-a-term -S fixfilenames.vim  $(PACKAGE).pot $(PO_VIM_INPUTLIST)
+	# Delete the temporary files
+	rm *.js
 
 vim.desktop: vim.desktop.in $(POFILES)
 	echo $(LANGUAGES) | tr " " "\n" |sed -e '/\./d' | sort > LINGUAS
diff --git a/src/po/README.txt b/src/po/README.txt
index e60d1d2..68d267a 100644
--- a/src/po/README.txt
+++ b/src/po/README.txt
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@
 
 (2) Translate
     See the gettext documentation on how to do this.  You can also find
-    examples in the other po files.
+    examples in the other po files.  You can use "gF" on the file name to see
+    the context of the message.
     Search the po file for items that require translation:
 
 	/fuzzy\|^msgstr ""\(\n"\)\@!
@@ -123,6 +124,13 @@
 
     Look out for syntax errors and fix them.
 
+(6) Local tryout:
+    Vim normally picks up the .mo files from:
+	    $VIMRUNTIME/lang/{lang}/LC_MESSAGES/vim.mo
+    To try out the messages with Vim use:
+    	    make tryoutinstall
+    And run Vim with $VIMRUNTIME set to ../runtime
+
 
 USING GETTEXT WITHOUT ICONV
 
diff --git a/src/po/fixfilenames.vim b/src/po/fixfilenames.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..65d448c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/po/fixfilenames.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+" Invoked with the name "vim.pot" and a list of Vim script names.
+" Converts them to a .js file, stripping comments, so that xgettext works.
+
+set shortmess+=A
+
+for name in argv()[1:]
+  let jsname = fnamemodify(name, ":t:r") .. ".js"
+  exe "%s+" .. jsname .. "+" .. name .. "+"
+endfor
+
+write
+last
+quit
diff --git a/src/po/tojavascript.vim b/src/po/tojavascript.vim
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7868570
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/po/tojavascript.vim
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+" Invoked with the name "vim.pot" and a list of Vim script names.
+" Converts them to a .js file, stripping comments, so that xgettext works.
+" Javascript is used because, like Vim, it accepts both single and double
+" quoted strings.
+
+set shortmess+=A
+
+for name in argv()[1:]
+  exe 'edit ' .. fnameescape(name)
+
+  " Strip comments
+  g/^\s*"/s/.*//
+
+  " Write as .js file, xgettext recognizes them
+  exe 'w! ' .. fnamemodify(name, ":t:r") .. ".js"
+endfor
+
+quit
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 8eaf484..1fe5b26 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -755,6 +755,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    1544,
+/**/
     1543,
 /**/
     1542,