"Wim SKW" wrote...
....
Can anyone provide me with a reliable way to determine how the words "Row"
and "Column" are abbreviated on the current system where Excel is running
so I can use these characters in the INDIRECT function?

No. Internationalization just doesn't work well with R1C1 indirect
addressing or the CELL function.

Since you're already using the volatile INDIRECT, no great harm changing to
the volatile OFFSET. For example, the following formulas in cell X99 are
equivalent.

=INDIRECT("R[-1]C",0)

=OFFSET(X99,-1,0)

but =X98 would be better still. Why are you using INDIRECT with R1C1
addressing? There may be more robust alternatives.