Translation of Neologisms

Ahmet M. Ateş – Mehmet Kamman

What is neologism?

Neologisms can be defined as newly coined lexical units or existing lexical units that acquire a new sense.

Neologisms cannot be accurately quantified, since so many hover between acceptance and oblivion and many are short-lived, individual creauons

Usually arise first in a response to a particular need, a majority of them have a single meaning and can therefore be translated out of context, but many of them soon acquire new (and sometimes lose the old) meanings in the TL

The Creation of Neologisms

Blends

New words can also be formed from existing ones by various blending processes: for example, motel (from motor hotel), infomercial (from information and commercial), edutainment (from education and entertainment), brunch (from breakfast and lunch), cafetorium (from cafeteria and auditorium), netiquette (from network etiquette), trashware (from trash and software), and bit (from binary and digit)

Generified Words

The words Kleenex and Xerox illustrate another technique for creating new words, namely, using specific brand names of products as names for the products in general (generification). Hence Kleenex, a brand name for facial tissue, has come to denote facial tissue in general. Xerox is the name of the corporation that produces a well-known photocopying machine, and much to the dismay of the company, the term Xerox has lost its specific brand-name connotation and has come to be used to describe the process of photocopying in general.

Borrowing: DirectYet another way to expand our vocabulary is to "borrow" words from other languages. Speakers of English aggressively borrow words from other languages. We have kindergarten (German), and sushi (Japanese) among many others.

Borrowing: IndirectAn interesting type of borrowing occurs when an expression in one language is translated literally into another language. For example, the borrowed terms firewater and iron horse are literal translations of Native American words meaning "alcohol" and "railroad train".

Semantic Drift

Over time the meanings of words can change, or drift. A rather striking example of change has occurred in the word lady. Half of it was the Old English word for "bread" (related to the modern word loaf) and dighe was the word for "kneader" (related to the modern word dough). Thus, the original "kneader of bread" has experienced a rather remarkable increase in status.

Compounds and Compounding

In English (as in many other languages) new words can be formed from already existing words by a process known as compounding, in which individual words are "joined together" to form a compound word. For example, the noun ape can be joined with the noun man to form the compound noun ape-man; the adjective red can be joined with the adjective hot to form the compound adjective red-hot.

Compounds are not limited to two words, as shown by examples such as bathroom towel-rack and community center finance committee. Indeed, the process of compounding seems unlimited in English: starting with a word like sailboat, we can easily construct the compound sailboat rigging, from which we can in turn create sailboat rigging design, sailboat rigging design training, sailboat rigging design training institute, and so on.

The Agentive Suffix '-er'

Agentive nouns are formed by the word formation rule "Add the suffix '-er' to a verb".

The Diminutive Suffix '-y/-ie'

English has a so-called diminutive suffix, usually spelled -y (or -i.e.), which is added to nouns such as those in the following pairs: dad-daddy, mom-mommy, dog-doggy, and horse-horsie.

Types of neologism (by formation) Old words with new sense New coinages Derived words Abbreviations Collocations Eponyms Phrasal words Transferred words Acronyms Pseudo-neologisms

Types of neologism (by stability)

Unstable Diffused Stable

Readership and Authority in Translation3 types of reader: Expert Educated Ignorant

Translate only if: Neolog has significance in TL There is no accepted translation/equivelant You have authority to translate

Types of NeologismOld Words (and collocations) with New Sense An existing word is used in a new sense Tend to be non-cultural and nontechnical

How to Translate Existing world in TL Fuctional or descriptive term Is reader aware of the concept?

GAY

12th century wanton, lewd, lascivious, as a surname

14th century full of joy, merry; light-hearted, carefree

17th-19th century had an overall tinge of promiscuity20th century homosexual

boring and not fashionable

NETWORK

16th century net-like arrangement of threads, wires, etc.

19th century any complex, interlocking system20th century to broadcast over a (radio) network

(v)20th cent. (1972) an interconnected system of

computers (n)Late 20th century A group of people, in leading

position, who works together

She didn’t like the ringtone – said it was gay.She felt lighthearted and gay.The garden was gay with red flowers.

The new rail services will form a network connecting the capital and cities.We’re dismantling the financial networks that have funded terrorism.

Types of Neologism

New Coinages Main new coinages are brand or trade names Derived words

How to Translate Brand names are transferred It should be replaced by the same or

equivalent morphemes; Phonaesthetic equivalent

PrilCalgonitShellOpel (Vauxhall in UK)Fiat (TOFAŞ in TR)ToshibaCoca-ColaNescafeRanch

/piril//kalgonit//şel//opel//fiyat//toşiba//koka-kola//neskafe//renç/

Types of Neologism

Derived Words Designate scientific and technological terms

How to Translate Consult the appropriate ISO glossary Are they permanent/ functional/ worth

translating? Distinguish lexical parts (root and affixes) Understand the referential basis

ComputerFrom compute

Literal meaning: hesaplamacıAccepted translation: bilgisayarISO: TDK, TBD

From referential base ‘computing’in Turkish ‘processing information’refers to calculation.

Graphic cardGraphics + card

Literal meaning: görüntü kartıAccepted translation: ekran kartıISO: TDK, TBD

Graphic cards provide/convey digital data for monitors to create images, ‘görüntü’ is one of possible translation of ‘image’ in Turkish

Types of Neologism

Eponyms/Metonyms Any word derived from a proper name Refer directly to the person or may refer to

the referent's ideas or qualities

How to Translate Generic term is added until they are widely

known Translate by sense

Amper (from André Marie Ampère)Diesel (from Rudolf Diesel)

Draconian (from Draco)Darwinian (from Darwin)

The word «darwinian» can be translated into TurkishAs «evrimci» since it refers to Darwin’s «theory of

evolution»

Types of Neologism

Phrasal Verbs Restricted to English's facility in converting

verbs to nouns

How to Translate Translated by their semantic (meaning)

equivalents

English Turkish «translation»Die-offGet rid ofPoint outBeef upBlack outBoil down toBurn outClam up

Toplu ölümBaşındna savmak/ kurtulmakGöstermek / işaret etmekGüçlendirmek / desteklemekBayılmak / bilinçsizleşmek-e indirgemekDurmak / TükenmekSoyutlamak/İçine kapanmak

Types of Neologism

Tranferred Words Transferred words into SL Least dependent on context Can develop additional senses

How to Translate Functional / descriptive equivelant Newly imported words are transferred with a

generic term

Spagetti Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin

Tranlation: Çubuk makarna

Pide

Possible translations:Turkish flatbreadTurkish pizza

Noodlea type of staple food made from some type of unleavened dough which is rolled flat and cut into one of a variety of shapes

Transferred into Turkish.

Yoğurt

Phonaesthetics transference into English, German

Types of Neologism

Abbreviations / AcronymsHow to Translate Abbreviations and company/institution

acronyms are transferred, with a descriptive explanation or note until they become widely known

For other acronyms, standard equivelant or descriptive term is used

For international institutions, acronyms switch for every languages

English TurkishUN – United NationsEU – Europe UnionUNESCONATOWWWITHTMLCSSURLGUIDOSSATA

BM – Birleşmiş MilletlerAB – Avrupa BirliğiUNESCONATOWWWIT (TBD kısaltma çevirisi BT)HTMLCSSURLGUI (Grafik Arayüz)DOSSATA

A FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR THE TRANSLATION OF NEOLOGISMS

Type Contextual factors Translation procedures

Old WordsCollocations Value and purpose

Importance to SL/TLStatus of neologism in SLRecencyFrequencyTranslator’s authorityExisting translationExistence in TL cultureReadershipSettingFashion/clique/commercialEuphony (harmony)Linguistically justified?Likely to become internationalism?

TransferenceTL NeologismTL derived wordNaturalisationRecognised TL translat.Functional termDescriptive termLiteral translationCombinative translat.Through translationInternationalism

New coinages Derived words Abbreviations Collocations EponymsPhrasal WordsTransferred wordsAcronyms Pseudo-neologisms Internationalisms

Works Cited Newmark, P. A Textbook of Translation Hasani, A., Ibrahem, Y., Muhammid, A. Neologism

as a Linguistic Phenomenon in Mass Media Textbook with Reference to Translation

http://translationjournal.net/journal/56neologisms.htm

http://dessydys.blogspot.com/2011/10/translating-neologisms.html

http://dessydys.blogspot.com/2011/10/translating-neologisms.html

http://gendocs.ru/v6574/neologisms_in_modern_english