A-language

Definition: the interpreters native language, into

which he/she works from all his/her other languages
in both kinds of interpretation, simultaneous and
consecutive

absolute translation
Definition: translation that preserves the
communicative quality of the original, mistakes and all
Source: Gouadec 1989

abstraction change
Definition: semantic translation technique or strategy,
involving a move either from abstract to more
concrete or from concrete to more abstract
Source: Chesterman 1997

abstract translation > summary translation

acceptability
Definition: characteristic of translations that have a
natural target-language style, because they conform
closely to target-language norms; degree to which a
translation conforms to target-language norms
Source: Toury 1995

accuracy
Definition: characteristic of translations that give high
priority to preserving the informational content of the
source text

adaptation
Definition 1: translation technique or strategy based
on situational equivalence
Source: Vinay and Darbelnet 1958
Definition 2: any kind of translation which does not
prioritize formal equivalence; a very free translation

addition
Definition: translation technique or strategy involving
the adding of information not present explicitly or
implicitly in the source text

addressee, target audience

Definition: person(s) to whom the translation is
directed, the intended reader(s)
Source: Delisle 1999

adequacy
Definition 1: quality of a translation with respect to its
skopos; the degree to which it meets its intended
function Source: Reiss and Vermeer 1984
Definition 2: characteristic of a translation which
conforms to source rather than target norms
Source: Toury 1995
Note: The two senses are very different indeed!

ad hoc formulation
Definition: result of a translation operation that
establishes a lexical, syntactic, or even phrasal
equivalence that is only appropriate within the text in
question
Source: Delisle 1999

adjustment
Definition: set of techniques used in Bible translation
which are designed to
produce correct equivalents in the target language
and thus help a translation achieve dynamic
equivalence
Source: Nida 1964
Note: Nida later replaced the notion of adjustment by
transfer and restructuring.

agent
Definition: any person involved in communication via
translation, apart from the translator: e.g. text
producer, editor, reviser, publisher, client, recipient
Source: Sager 1994

amplification, expansion
Definition: translation technique in which the the
same meaning as in the original is expressed in a
longer form in the translation
Source: Delisle 1999

analysis
Definition: process of source-text analysis, before
and/or during the translation process
Source: Nida and Taber 1969/1982, Nord 1991a

anticipation
Definition: phenomenon in simultaneous
interpretation in
which the interpreter says something that the speaker
will say only later

antonymy
Definition: semantic translation technique of selecting
an antonym plus a negation element (e.g. good >
not bad); the relation between a concept and its
opposite

applied translation studies

Definition: branch of translation studies that includes
translator training, translation aids, translation policy,
translation criticism
Source: Holmes 1988

archaism
Definition: translation technique or strategy involving
the deliberate use of archaic forms in the target
language; a form that is the result of such a technique

architranseme
Definition: methodological tool for the analysis of
translation equivalence: a theoretical common
denominator used in the comparison of source text
and translation
Source: Leuven-Zwart 1989/1990

attention unit
Definition: an item at which a translator appears to
pause (in a think-aloud protocol); an apparent
indication of some kind of special mental processing,
e.g. to solve a specific non-routine problem

audiovisual translation > screen translation

autonomy spectrum
Definition: continuum used to classify basic translation
types, the two poles being source text autonomy and
target audience needs
Source: Rose 1981

autotranslation, self-translation
Definition: translation done by the author of the
source text
Source: Popovic 1976

B-language
Definition: an interpreters active foreign language,
mastered to a near-native level, used as a target
language as well as a source language

Babel, Tower of
Definition: biblical myth, offering an explanation for
the variety of languages in the world and thus the
need for translators and interpreters. See Genesis
Chapter 11

back transformation
Definition: process of simplifying or paraphrasing a
complex source-language structure into a kind of deep
structure version, in order to make it easier to
understand and translate; part of the analysis stage of
translation
Source: Nida 1969

back-translation
Definition: reverse translation process where a
translation is retranslated back into the source
language (e.g to check the adequacy of the
translation)

belles infidles
Definition: very free translations or adaptations done
in France during the 17th and 18th centuries; literally
beautiful unfaithful

bi-text
Definition 1: psychological concept denoting a sourcelanguage item together with its target-language
equivalent, as they co-exist for a moment in the head
of the translator
Source: Harris 1988
Definition 2: a merged electronic document consisting
of a translation plus its source text

clause structure change

Definition: syntactic translation technique or strategy;
a change that has to do with the structure of the
clause in terms of its constituent phrases. Various
subclasses include constituent order (e.g. analysed as
Subject, Verb, Object, Complement, Adverbial), active
vs. passive voice, finite vs. non-finite structure,
transitive vs. intransitive.

borrowing > loan

client, commissioner, initiator, requester

Definition: the person(s) who orders the translation
from the translator

brief > commission

C-language
Definition: an interpreters passive foreign language,
used in conference interpreting only as a source
language

calque, loan translation

Definition: translation technique whereby a sourcelanguage morphological or syntactic structure is
transferred unchanged into the target language. E.g.
bermensch > Superman; in the long run > pitkss
juoksussa

CAT > computer-assisted translation

category shift
Definition: change from a source-language category to
a different category in the target language, e.g. a
change of word class, syntactic structure, system or
unit
Source: Catford 1965

chuchotage > whispered interpreting

class shift
Definition: change of grammatical class, e.g. from
source-language noun to target-language verb
Source: Catford 1965

close translation
Definition: any kind of translation that tends to
preserve the formal structure of the source text,
preferring e.g. formal correspondence to targetlanguage naturalness

coherence
Definition 1: generally, the quality of making sense;
being logical.
Definition 2: in skopos theory: (i) a translation has
intratextual coherence if it makes sense in the
situation where it is read; (ii) a translation has
intertextual coherence if it makes sense with respect
to its source text.
Source: Reiss and Vermeer 1984

coherence change
Definition: pragmatic translation technique or strategy
having to do with the logical arrangement of
information in the text, at the ideational level; e.g. in
paragraphing

cohesion change
Definition: syntactic translation technique or strategy;
a change that affects intra-textual reference, ellipsis,
substitution, pronominalization and repetition, or the
use of connectors

co-hyponym
Definition: term or concept that shares a common
hypernym with another term or concept

coinage
Definition: word created to satisfy an ad hoc need to
express a concept or to produce a stylistic effect for
which the target language lacks existing resources

commission, brief
Definition: intructions or specification given by the
client to the translator, perhaps further negotiated in
cooperation with the translator

componential analysis
Definition: form of semantic analysis in which words
are represented as basic components (elements) of
meaning. E.g. the components [+ human] and [
adult] represent the meaning of CHILD.

compression, concentration, concision, condensation

Definition: technique of expressing the same
meaning in a reduced form, so that the target version
is shorter

commissioner > client

communication load > information load
communicative translation
Definition: any translation that tends to prioritize
intelligibility and communicability, focusing on the
reader; sometimes opposed to semantic translation
Source: Newmark 1981

community interpreting
Definition: public service interpreting for local
community needs, typically with immigrants, usually
in both language directions

commutation
Definition: simple research technique to discover what
translators take to be equivalents: you change items
in the source text, and then see how translators
change the target text; a way to discover what
corresponds to what
Source: Catford 1965

comparable corpus
Definition: corpus consisting of translations in a given
target language plus parallel texts, i.e. non-translated
original texts of the same kind, in the same language;
used to study distinguishing features of translations
Source: Baker 1995
Note: not to be confused with a parallel corpus, which
consists of source texts plus their translations in a
given language or languages.

computer-assisted translation, CAT, machine-aided

translation
Definition: translation method whereby the translator
make use of computer tools such as a translation
memory

conference interpreting
Definition: professional interpreting as done at
international conferences, usually simultaneously,
with booths and ear-phones

consecutive interpreting
Definition: form of interpreting where the interpreter
listens to a section of speech and (usually) takes
notes, then translates it

constitutive translational convention

Definition: conventions (or norms) that determine
what a particular culture accepts as a translation,
conventions that thus constitute the concept of
translation for that culture
Source: Nord 1991b

constraint
Definition: factor that limits a translators freedom of
choice

contextual consistency
Definition: policy of translating a given word by using
different target-language words depending on the
context (as opposed verbal consistency, where the
translator always uses the same translation)

contrastive linguistics
Definition: branch of applied linguistics that compares
languages, e.g. in order to improve methods of
language teaching, or to discover language universals

controlled language, restricted language,

sublanguage
Definition: restricted form of language used in a welldefined domain, where machine translation works
well

convention
Definition: customary form of belief, attitude or
behaviour in a given culture or society; less strict than
a norm

cultural substitution
Definition: the use of a real-world referent from the
receptor culture to translate an unknown referent of
the original, both of the referents having the same
function
Source: Beekman and Callow 1974

cultural transplantation
Definition: highest degree of cultural transfer, in
which details of the source culture contained in the
source text are replaced by target-culture elements
with the result that the text is partially rewritten in a
target-culture setting
Source: Hervey and Higgins 1992

culture-bound terms > realia

converse
Definition: semantic translation technique or strategy
in which the translation uses an alternative (usually)
verbal structure which expresses the same state of
affairs from an opposing viewpoint, such as changing
A bought X from B to B sold X to A. The term can
also mean the name of this relation between the two
verbs.

culture bump
Definition: situation where a target-culture reader has
problems understanding a source-cultural allusion;
more generally, problem of intercultural
communication
Source: Leppihalme 1994

court interpreting
Definition: kind of interpreting done in a court of law

Descriptive Translation Studies

Definition: studies that aim to describe translations
and what translators do (as opposed to prescriptive
translation studies or mere speculation)
Source: Holmes 1988

covert translation
Definition: translation that aims to present itself as an
original, concealing its nature as a translation
Source: House 1977

cultural borrowing
Definition: a type of cultural transposition in which a
source-language expression is transferred verbatim
into the target language because it is not possible to
translate it by a suitable target-language equivalent
Source: Hervey and Higgins 1992

cultural filtering > domestication

cultural references > realia

dcalage > lag

deverbalization
Definition: assumed stage in the interpreting (and
translation) process when the interpreter detaches
the meaning of the incoming message from its form,
before expressing this meaning in the target language;
a central concept of the Paris ESIT school and its
thorie du sens
Source: Seleskovitch and Lederer 1984

diagrammatic translation
Definition: translation in which the source content is
transferred to the target language by means of a
diagram rather than by text
Source: Gouadec 1990, Sager 1994

didactic translation
Definition: translation taught for the purpose of
learning a foreign language

differentiation, degree of
Definition: amount of specification or detail (in
translation). The necessary degree of differentiation,
determined by the function of the translation, is
reflected e.g. in the amount of implicit source-cultural
background information that is made explicit in the
translation.
Source: Hnig and Kussmaul 1982

direct translation
Definition 1: translation done directly from the
original, without an intermediary text
Source: Toury 1995
Definition 2: group of translation techniques or
strategies that minimize formal and semantic changes
Source: Vinay and Darbelnet 1958

discovery procedure
Definition: research procedure starting with a target
text, then establishing its source text, studying the
relations between the two, and finally discovering the
translators notion of equivalence that has guided the
translation process
Source: Toury 1995

distribution change
Definition: semantic translation technique involving a
change in the distribution of the same semantic
components over more items (expansion) or fewer
items (compression)

documentary translation
Definition: method of translation whereby the
translation functions as a kind of report of the original
communication, preserving various features of the
source text; a translation of this type (compare
instrumental translation)
Source: Nord 1997

domestication, naturalizing strategy, cultural filtering

Definition: pragmatic translation technique or strategy
in which the translator gives priority to targetlanguage fluency, minimizing the Otherness of the
original and e.g. adapting culture-bound items
(compare foreignization)
Source: Venuti 1995

double presentation
Definition: translation technique whereby the sourcelanguage form of an item appears in the target text
alongside a target-language equivalent or explanation,
for instance in brackets
Source: Pym 1992

dubbing
Definition: technique of replacing the original verbal
sound-track of a film etc. with target-language voices,
usually synchronized with the original lip movements
as far as possible

dynamic equivalence, functional equivalence,

pragmatic equivalence
Definition: equivalence of effect or function, rather
than form
Source: Nida 1964, House 1977

emphasis change
Definition: semantic translation technique involving a
change of emphasis or thematic focus

equivalence
Definition 1: relationship between source text and
target text; often understood as a kind (or kinds) of
identity or sameness, or as a kind of similarity
Definition 2: a translation technique or procedure
based on replicating the source situation, not the
words; used e.g. for translating idioms
Source: Vinay and Darbelnet 1958

equivalence hierarchy
Definition: hierarchy of types of equivalence, in an
order of priority decided by the translator for each
particular translation task
Source: Holmes 1988, Koller 1979/1992

ethnographic translation, thick translation

Definition: kind of translation used e.g. in
ethnography, with many explanations, glosses and
notes
Source: Casagrande 1954, Appiah 1993

excluded receiver
Definition: receiver who is unable to participate in a
communication, e.g. because the language is
unknown to them or too difficult
Source: Pym 1992

exegetic translation
Definition: translation that expands the original,
adding additional information and explanations
Source: Hervey and Higgins 1992

exoticism
Definition: feature of translations in which linguistic
and cultural features of the source text have been
taken over into the translation with little or no
adaptation, so that the translation has an obvious
foreign appearence; see foreignizing

exoticizing > foreignization

expectancy norm
Definition: target-culture norm expressing
expectations about what a translation of a given type
should look like, as a textual product
Source: Chesterman 1997

explicitation
Definition: technique or strategy of expressing more
clearly, in the translation, information that was only
implied in the source text
Source: Blum-Kulka 1986

explicitness change
Definition: pragmatic translation technique or
strategy; change either toward more explicitness
(explicitation) or towards more implicitness
(implicitation).

expressive text
Definition: text whose main function is to express the
thoughts and/or feelings of the author, such as
aesthetic texts, literature (compare informative and
operative text)
Source: Reiss 1976

expansion > amplification

faithfulness, fidelity
Definition: quality of translations that represent their
originals in a fair and just way; understood both
linguistically and ethically

false friends
Definition: words that look alike in source language
and target language but have clearly different
meanings

fidelity > faithfulness

foreignization, exoticizing
Definition: strategy or technique whereby the
translator seeks to preserve the otherness of the
source text, translating it in a non-fluent way
(compare domestication)
Source: Venuti 1995

formal equivalence
Definition: source-target relation which preserves the
syntactic form of the source text (as opposed to the
meaning or the function)
Source: Nida 1964

free translation
Definition: any kind of translation which gives higher
priority to functional equivalence or to the intended
effect than to formal equivalence

functional equivalence > dynamic equivalence

game theory
Definition: theory used to describe a decision-making
process (e.g. the translators) as a series of moves like
in chess
Source: Levy 1967

generalization
Definition: translation technique or strategy where
the translator chooses a more general term than the
one in the source text; e.g. so that a hypernym (coverterm) in the target text corresponds to a hyponym in
the source
FI: yleistminen, korvaaminen ylksitteell
SV: generalisering
DE: Generalisierung
FR: hyperonymisation
gist translation > summary translation
global strategy
Definition: general translation strategy referring to the
overall approach to be taken when translating a given
text, such as translate very freely, or make the
translation sound strange and foreign (compare
local strategy)
FI: globaali strategia
SV: global strategi
DE: globale Strategie
FR: stratgie globale
grammar translation
Definition: kind of translation that is grammatical, but
not very idiomatic or natural target language; used in
language teaching, to practise mastery of the target
language and to test understanding of the source
language
FI: kouluknns
SV: filologisk versttning
DE: philologische bersetzung
FR: traduction philologique
growing standardization, law of
Definition: law (or hypothesis) according to which
translations tend to be stylistically more standardized,
less marked, than their source texts
Source: Toury 1995
FI: lisntyvn standardisoitumisen laki
SV: lagen om kad standardisering
DE: Regel der wachsende Standardisierung
FR: loi de standardisation croissante
hermeneutic motion
Definition: philosophical model of the translation
process, consisting of trust (that there is something
there to be translated), aggression (into the source
text), incorporation (of its meaning into the target
language) and restitution (i.e. compensation for lost

meaning and an addition of value a translated text

has higher status)
Source: Steiner 1975
FI: hermeneuttinen liike
SV: hermeneutisk rrelse
DE: hermeneutischer Proze
FR: mouvement hermneutique
homophonic translation > phonemic translation
horizontal translation
Definition: translation between languages of equal
status, especially as practised in the Middle Ages
Source: Folena 1974/1991
FI: horisontaalinen knns
SV: horisontal versttning
DE: horizontale bersetzung
FR: traduction horizontale
hybrid text
Definition: target text that exhibits features of both
source and target cultures, and is accepted as such in
the target culture.
Source: Schffner and Adab 2001
FI: hybriditeksti
SV: hybridtext
DE: hybrider Text
FR: texte hybride
hyperinformation
Definition: information which is added by the
interpreter in order to compensate for the hearers
possible lack of any cultural background knowledge
which is necessary for a proper understanding of the
message
Source: Reiss and Vermeer 1984
FI: hyperinformaatio
SV: hyperinformation
DE: Hyperinformation
FR: hyperinformation
hyponymy
Definition: semantic translation technique involving a
hyponymic change: source-text hyponym to target
hypernym, source hypernym to target hyponym, or
source hyponym to target co-hyponym; the relation
between a hypernym and a hyponym
FI: hyponymia
SV: hyponymi
DE: Hyponymie
FR: stratgie hyponymique

illocutionary change
Definition: pragmatic translation technique or
strategy: changes of speech act, e.g. involving a
change of the mood of the verb from indicative to
imperative, changes in the use of rhetorical questions
and exclamations, changes between direct and
indirect speech
Source: Chesterman 1997
FI: illokutionaarinen muutos, illokutorinen vaihto
SV: illokutionbyte, frndrad illokution
DE: Illokutionswechsel
FR: changement illocutoire
imitation
Definition: very free kind of translation, in which the
priority is to imitate an authors style rather than
preserve the structure or meaning of the original
Source: Dryden 1690
FI: imitaatio, jljittely
SV: imitation
DE: Imitation
FR: traduction mimtique, imitation
implicitation
Definition: translation technique or strategy of
producing a target text that allows the reader to infer
information that was expressed more explicitly in the
source text
FI: implisiittistminen
SV: implicitering
DE: Verknappung
FR: implicitation
indeterminacy
Definition: the unavoidable ambiguity and
indefiniteness of meaning which occurs in all
communication; a philosophical term
Source: Quine 1960
FI: epmrisyys
SV: indetermination
DE: Unbestimmtheit
FR: indtermination
indirect translation, mediated translation
Definition: translation done via an intermediary
translation in a third language, not directly from the
original
Source: Vinay and Darbelnet 1958
FI: epsuora knns, vlillinen knns
SV: indirekt versttning

DE: indirekte bersetzung

FR: traduction indirecte
information change
Definition: pragmatic translation technique or strategy
involving either the addition of new (non-inferrable)
information which is thought to be relevant to the
target readership but which is not present in the
source text, or the omission of source-text
information which is judged to be irrelevant (this
latter might involve summarizing, for instance)
Source: Chesterman 1997
FI: informaatiomuutos
SV: informationsbyte, frndrad information
DE: Informationswechsel
FR: changement informationnel
information load, communication load
Definition: amount of information per unit of text; the
higher the load, the more dense the text is and the
harder the text is to understand
Source: Nida 1964
FI: informaatiokuorma, informaatiotiheys
SV: kommunikationsmngd, informationstthet,
informationsmngd
DE: Informationsintensitt
FR: densit informationnelle
information offer
Definition: view of a text (or act of communication) as
a way of offering information to a receiver, who is
responsible for accepting and interpreting the offer; a
translation is thus an information offer about a
previous information offer
Source: Vermeer1982
FI: informaatiotarjous
SV: informationsanbud
DE: Informationsangebot
FR: offre dinformation
informative text
Definition: text whose primary function is to transmit
information (compare expressive and operative
text)
Source: Reiss 1976
FI: informatiivinen teksti
SV: informativ text
DE: informativer Text
FR: texte informationnel, texte informatif

initial norm
Definition: either of a translators two basic
orientation options: either to follow the norms of the
source text and culture or those of the target culture.
Source: Toury 1995
FI: alkunormi
SV: initial norm
DE: Initialnorm
FR: norme initiale

interpersonal change
Definition: pragmatic translation technique or strategy
involving a change which affects the formality level,
the degree of emotiveness and involvement
Source: Chesterman 1997
FI: interpersonaalinen vaihdos
SV: interpersonal frndring
DE: interpersonale Wechsel
FR: changement interpersonnel

initiator > client

interpreting
Definition: (usually) oral translation of spoken text
FI: tulkkaus
SV: tolkning
DE: Dolmetschen
FR: interprtation

instrumental translation
Definition: method of translation whereby the target
text is intended to function independently in the
target culture, without being recognized as a
translation; a translation of this type (compare
documentary translation)
Source: Nord 1997
FI: instrumentaalinen knns
SV: instrumentell versttning
DE: instrumentale bersetzung
FR: traduction instrumentale
interference
Definition: tendency for translations to be influenced
by the form of the source text
FI: interferenssi
SV: interferens
DE: Interferenz
FR: interfrence
interlinear translation
Definition: kind of very literal translation in which the
target-text words appear line by line above or below
the source text, in the appropriate place, to be read
together with the original as an aid to understanding
FI: interlineaarinen knns
SV: interliner versttning
DE: Interlinearversion
FR: traduction coordonne linairement
interlingua > pivot language
interlingual translation
Definition: translation as normally understood,
between languages
FI: kieltenvlinen kntminen
SV: interlingval versttning
DE: interlinguale bersetzung
FR: traduction interlinguale

intersemiotic translation, transmutation

Definition: form of translation between different
semiotic systems, such as between music and words
or dance, image, cinema
Source: Jakobson 1959
FI: intersemioottinen kntminen, intersemioottinen
knns
SV: intersemiotisk versttning
DE: intersemiotische bersetzung
FR: traduction intersmiotique
intertemporal translation
Definition: kind of translation where the original text
dates from a much earlier period (or deals with an
earlier period), so that the translator is also
translating across a significant time gap
Source: Vladova 1993
FI: intertemporaalinen knns
SV: intertemporal versttning
DE: bersetzung zwischen historischen Zeiten,
intertemporale bersetzung
FR: traduction intertemporelle
intralingual translation, rewording
Definition: form of translation or rephrasing that takes
place within the same language, as when one says the
same thing in other words
Source: Jakobson 1959
FI: kielensisinen knns, uudelleenmuotoilu
SV: intralingval versttning, omformulering
DE: intralinguale bersetzung, Umformulierung
FR: reformulation, traduction intralinguale

intra-system shift
Definition: technique or strategy involving a change
within a particular grammatical system, such as
source-text singular changing to target-text plural
within the system of number
Source: Catford 1965
FI: systeeminsisinen vaihdos
SV: systeminternt byte
DE: System-interne nderung
FR: changement intrasystmique
invariance
Definition: approximate synonym for sameness;
something that does not change during the
translation process
FI: invarianssi
SV: invarians
DE: Invarianz
FR: invariance
inverse translation, other tongue translation (OTT)
Definition: translation from the translators native
language
FI: knns / kntminen vieraaseen kieleen
SV: versttning till ett frmmande sprk, omvnd
versttning
DE: Hinbersetzung, bersetzung in die Fremdsprache
FR: thme
justification procedure
Definition: research procedure starting with a given
notion of equivalence, and using it to explain a
translators decisions and hence certain features of
the target text
Source: Toury 1995
FI: oikeutusmenettely
SV: bevisfringsprocedur
DE: Rechtfertigungsverfahren
FR: procdure de justification
kernel structure
Definition: simple kind of deep structure in which
complex source-text structures are broken down into
simpler elements and disambiguated in order to make
them more transparent and easier to translate
Source: Nida 1964
FI: ydinrakenne
SV: krnstruktur
DE: Kernstruktur
FR: structure noeud

lacuna, lexical gap

Definition: lack of a term in the target language that
would correspond closely to one existing in the source
language
FI: aukko
SV: lucka
DE: Lcke
FR: absence, vide, lacune, trou lexical
lag, dcalage
Definition: the time gap (ear-voice span) between a
speaker and a simultaneous interpreter
FI: viive
SV: decalage
DE: (der) Time Lag
FR: dcalage
layout change
Definition: pragmatic translation strategy involving
a change in the layout of the text
FI: layoutin muutos, taittoasun muutos
SV: layoutbyte, frndrad layout
DE: Layoutswechsel
FR: changement de mise en page
level shift
Definition: translation technique involving a change in
which the expression of a particular aspect of
meaning moves from one level to another (the levels
are phonology, morphology, syntax and lexis)
Source: Catford 1965
FI: tason vaihdos
SV: nivbyte
DE: nderung der Ebenen
FR: changement de niveau
lexical density
Definition: proportion of lexical words in a given text;
measured as the ratio of lexical words to grammatical
(functional) words, or to the total number of words or
sentences
FI: leksikaalinen tiheys
SV: lexikal tthet
DE: lexikalische Dichte
FR: densit lexicale
lexical gap > lacuna
lexical variety
Definition: measure of the richness of vocabulary in a
given text or corpus, usually expressed as the
proportion of word-types to word-tokens

FI: leksikaalinen vaihtelu

SV: lexical variation
DE: lexikalische Variett
FR: varit lexicale

FI: lojaalius
SV: lojalitet
DE: Loyalitt
FR: loyaut (professionnelle)

literal translation
Definition: syntactic translation technique or strategy
leading to a close translation; a grammatical but not
necessarily idiomatic translation
FI: kirjaimellinen knns, sananmukainen knns,
sanasanainen knns
SV: ordagrann versttning, bokstavlig versttning
DE: wrtliche bersetzung, wort-wrtliche
bersetzung
FR: traduction littrale, transcodage

machine translation
Definition: translation done by a computer program
FI: konekntminen
SV: maskinversttning
DE: maschinelle bersetzung
FR: traduction automatique

loan, borrowing
Definition: translation technique whereby a sourcelanguage word is transferred directly into the targetlanguage text. Example: sauna in an English text
FI: laina
SV: ln
DE: Entlehnung
FR: emprunt
loan translation > calque
local strategy
Definition: translation strategy concerning a particular
unit of translation or a particular type of problem,
such as a way of translating a metaphor, or the use of
transpositions or modulations or shifts; for some
scholars, a synonym for technique (compare global
strategy)
FI: lokaali(nen) strategia, paikallisstrategia
SV: lokal strategi
DE: lokale Strategie
FR: stratgie locale
localization, localisation
Definition: process of adapting texts, particularly
software and software manuals, to local cultural
conditions
FI: lokalisointi
SV: lokalisering
DE: Lokalisierung
FR: localisation
loyalty
Definition: translators ethical attitude towards
source-text writer, sender, target-text receiver, and
any other agents involved

machine-aided translation > computer-assisted

translation
manipulation
Definition: adjusting the source message in order to
make it more compatible with a given ideology.
(According to the group of scholars known as the
Manipulation School, all translation implies some
degree of manipulation of the source text for a certain
purpose.)
Source: Hermans 1985
FI: manipulointi
SV: manipulation
DE: Manipulation
FR: manipulation
Manipulation School
Definition: group of scholars, mainly in Belgium, the
Netherlands and Israel, who brought new ideas into
translation studies in the 1980s and 90s, with an
emphasis on descriptive studies of literary translations
and their cultural contexts
Source: Hermans 1985
FI: manipulaatiokoulukunta
SV: manipulationsteoretiker
DE: Manipulationstheoretiker
FR: cole de manipulation
mapping
Definition: the process whereby translations map
i.e. represent originals; also the mental picture that
the translator forms of the source text before and
while translating
FI: kuvaus
SV: kartlggning
DE: Abbildung
FR: reprsentation
matricial norm
Definition: a norm that regulates the organization of

the target text during translation, e.g. regarding what

can be moved or omitted
Source: Toury 1995
FI: matriisinormi
SV: matrisnorm
DE: Matriznorm
FR: norme matricielle
mediated translation > indirect translation
meme
Definition: unit of cultural transfer; an idea,
behaviour, style, or usage that spreads from person to
person
Source: Dawkins 1976
FI: meemi
SV: mem
DE: Meme
FR: mme
metaphrase
Definition: fairly literal (and grammatical) translation
Source: Dryden 1690
FI: metafraasi
SV: metafras
DE: Metaphrase
FR: mtaphrase
minimax principle
Definition: game-theory principle governing the
translators decision-making process, according to
which the best choices are those which produce the
maximum effect with the least effort
Source: Levy 1967
FI: minimaksperiaate
SV: minimaxprincip
DE: Minimaxstrategie
FR: principe minimax
modification
Definition 1: kind of shift in which both source-text
and target-text items are hyponyms of the same
cover-term or architranseme, but are slightly different
semantically or syntactically.
Source: Leuven-Zwart 1989/90
Definition 2: any kind of slight change or shift (a more
general usage than definition 1)
FI: modifikaatio
SV: modifikation
DE: Modifikation
FR: modification

modulation
Definition 1: technique involving a slight change of
meaning or point of view
Source Vinay and Darbelnet 1958
Definition 2: technique involving generalization or
specification
Source: Leuven-Zwart 1989/1990
FI: modulaatio
SV: modulation
DE: Modulation
FR: modulation
mother tongue translation (MTT)
Definition: translation done into the translators
native language
FI: knns / kntminen idinkieleen
SV: versttning till modersmlet
DE: bersetzen in die Muttersprache
FR: version
multilingual corpus
Definition: set of monolingual corpora in two or more
languages, based on similar design criteria, so that e.g.
typical usages in different languages can be compared
FI: monikielinen korpus
SV: flersprkig korpus
DE: multilinguales Korpus
FR: corpus multilingue
multi-medial text
Definition: text involving more than one medium, such
as words plus pictures and/or sound
FI: multimediateksti
SV: multimediatext
DE: multimediale Text
FR: texte multimdiatique
multimedia translation > screen translation
mutation
Definition: translational shift which produces a big
difference between source and target,such as an
addition or omission or radical change of meaning
Source: Leuven-Zwart 1989/90
FI: mutaatio
SV: mutation
DE: Mutation
FR: mutation
naturalizing strategy > domestication

normative
Definition 1: having to do with norms, i.e. with shared
ideas about what should be done or what something
should be like. (This is the usual interpretation of the
term in Descriptive Translation Studies.)
Definition 2: having to do with what is typical
FI: normatiivinen
SV: normativ
DE: normativ
FR: normatif

otherness
Definition: quality of being different from oneself; the
essential being different of the source text and/or
culture, as experienced by the target-language reader,
or initially by the translator
FI: toiseus
SV: alteritet
DE: Andersartigkeit, Fremdartigkeit, Alteritt,
Anderssein
FR: altrit

observational receiver
Definition: reader who can understand a message
although it is not specifically addressed to him/her
Source: Pym 1992
FI: havainnoiva vastaanottaja
SV: observerande mottagare
DE: beobachtender Empfnger
FR: recepteur observateur

other tongue translation > inverse translation

omission
Definition: translation technique or strategy in which
the translator decides to leave out information that is
present in the source text; can be seen as a
translation error if the translator doesnt have an
acceptable reason for the omission
FI: poisto, poisjtt
SV: frlust, utelmning
DE: Auslassung
FR: omission
operational norm
Definition: norm which affects the text-producing
process in translation
Source: Toury 1995
FI: toimintanormi
SV: operationell norm
DE: operationale Norm
FR: norme oprationnelle
operative text
Definition: text whose primary function is to affect the
behaviour of the receiver, such as persuasive texts,
instructions (compare expressive and informative
text)
Source: Reiss 1976
FI: operatiivinen teksti
SV: operativ text
DE: operativer Text
FR: texte incitatif

overtranslation
Definition: a characteristic of translations that
increase the level of detail, as compared with that of
the original, e.g. because the unit of translation is
smaller than it might have been; often involves more
words than the original
Source: Newmark 1988
FI: ylikntminen
SV: ver-versttning
DE: berdifferenzierung
FR: surtraduction
overt translation
Definition: translation which is intended to be
recognized as a translation, e.g. because it is clearly
bound to the source culture; it may have a different
function from that of the original (compare covert
translation)
Source: House 1981
FI: avoin knns, ilmiknns
SV: ppen versttning
DE: funktionsverndernde bersetzung
FR: traduction non dguise
parallel text
Definition 1: non-translated texts in the target
language that are maximally similar in subject matter,
text-type, function and genre to the target text; used
as stylistic models by translators who wish to make
their translations sound as natural as possible; and
used by scholars studying differences between
translations and non-translated texts
Definition 2: translations themselves, seen as being
parallel to their source texts
FI: rinnakkaisteksti
SV: parallell text
DE: Paralleltext
FR: texte parallle

parallel translation
Definition: translation of a single source text into
several target languages, usually simultaneously
FI: rinnakkaisknns
SV: parallelversttning
DE: Parallelbersetzung
FR: traduction parallle
paraphrase
Definition: translation strategy which is a middle way
between metaphrase and imitation, not too close and
not too free; more generally, a translation that can be
described as loose, free, sometimes even
undertranslated
Source: Dryden 1690
FI: parafraasi, parafrastinen knns
SV: parafras
DE: Paraphrase
FR: paraphrase
paratext
Definition: those parts of a publication that come
before or after or around the text proper, such as
title, frontispiece, name of author and/or translator,
preface, afterword, cover blurb, notes
Source: Genette 1987
FI: parateksti
SV: paratext
DE: Paratext
FR: paratexte
partial translation
Definition: any kind of non-integral translation, such
as summary translation, transcription, translation of
the sounds only
Source: Catford 1965
FI: osittainen knns, osittaisknns
SV: partiell versttning
DE: partielle bersetzung
FR: traduction partielle
participative receiver
Definition: receiver who is specifically addressed by a
particular text; an intended reader
Source: Pym 1992
FI: osallistuva vastaanottaja
SV: deltagande mottagare
DE: intendierter Empfnger
FR: recepteur participant

patronage
Definition: people and institutions that exert power
and control (economic, ideological, political...) over a
cultures literary system and hence over a translators
decisions, such as clients, publishers, political or
religious or literary institutions, academia, the media
Source: Lefevere 1992
FI: suojelijat
SV: beskyddarskap, patronat
DE: Gnnerschaft
FR: patronage
phonemic translation, phonological translation,
homophonic translation
Definition: kind of translation that seeks to preserve
the same sounds and rhythm as the original, usually
regardless of syntax or meaning; used in some
translations of poetry
FI: foneeminen knns, homofoninen knns
SV: fonemisk versttning, homofon versttning
DE: homophone bersetzung
FR: traduction homophonique, traduction
phonmique
phonological translation > phonemic translation
phrase structure change
Definition: syntactic translation technique or strategy
involving a change at the level of the phrase, such as
changes in number, definiteness and modification in
the noun phrase, and person, tense, and mood in the
verb phrase
FI: lausekerakenteen muutos
SV: meningsstrukturfrndring, frndrad frasstruktur
DE: Phrasenstrukturwechsel
FR: changement syntagmatique
pivot language, interlingua
Definition: language that serves as an intermediary in
indirect translation, i.e. when a translation is not done
directly from the original
FI: vlikieli, pivot-kieli
SV: mellansprk, pivotsprk
DE: Interlingua
FR: langue pivot
polemical translation
Definition: kind of translation that is overtly directed
against some other translation or kind of translation,
or against the source-text author
Source: Popovic 1976

FI: poleeminen knns

SV: polemisk versttning
DE: polemische bersetzung
FR: traduction polmique
polysystem theory
Definition: theory of the structure and behaviour of
literary systems, which sees a cultures literature as
consisting of a set of systems (i.e. a polysystem) of
different kinds, some central, others peripheral;
literary translations thus form a system within this
polysystem
Source: Even-Zohar 1990
FI: polysysteemiteoria
SV: polysystemteori
DE: Polysystemtheorie
FR: thorie des polysystmes
post-editing
Definition: human revision of translations done by a
computer
FI: jlkieditointi
SV: post-editering, efterredigering
DE: Postredaktion
FR: post-dition
pragmatic equivalence > dynamic equivalence
pragmatic strategy (or technique)
Definition: change concerning pragmatic aspects of a
translation, involving some adjustment of the
message for the target audience
Source: Chesterman 1997
FI: pragmaattinen knnsstrategia
SV: pragmatisk versttningsstrategi
DE: pragmatische bersetzungsstrategie
FR: stratgie pragmatique
pre-editing
Definition: preparation of a source text for machine
translation, e.g. by simplifying it, removing
ambiguities and idioms, clarifying pronouns etc.
FI: etukteiseditointi
SV: pre-editering, frredigering, frhandsredigering
DE: Prredaktion
FR: pr-dition
preliminary norm
Definition: norm which affects the translation process
before the translator starts; these norms have to do
with the translation policy concerning what is worth
translating; and with the attitude towards indirect

translation
Source: Toury 1995
FI: ennakkonormi
SV: preliminr norm
DE: Prliminarnorm
FR: norme prliminaire
prescriptive translation studies
Definition: translation research that aims to state
what should be done, rather than describe or explain
what is in fact done
FI: preskriptiivinen knnstutkimus, ohjaileva
knnstutkimus
SV: preskriptiv versttningsteori
DE: prskriptive bersetzungsforschung
FR: traductologie prescriptive
procedure, translation procedure
Definition: an alternative term for a technique or
strategy; either generally or with reference to a
specific language pair
Source Delisle 1999, Vinay and Darbelnet 1958
FI: knnsmenetelm, kntmismenetelm
SV: versttningsmetod, versttningsprocedur
DE: bersetzungsverfahren, bersetzungsstrategie
FR: procd de traduction
professional norm
Definition: process norms that govern professional
translation practice: norms of communication, sourcetarget relations, and accountability
Source: Chesterman 1997
FI: ammatillinen normi
SV: professionell norm
DE: professionelle Norm
FR: norme professionnelle
protocol > think-aloud protocol
pseudotranslation
Definition: text that is claimed to be, and is initially
accepted as, a translation, but later turns out not to
be one after all, because it has had no source text
FI: nennisknns, pseudoknns, valeknns
SV: pseudoversttning
DE: Pseudobersetzung
FR: pseudo-traduction
pure language
Definition: mythical, Romantic notion of an abstract
universal language underlying all actual languages,
which can be tapped by translations that are allowed

to be affected and thus enriched by the source

language
Source: Benjamin 1923/1963
FI: puhdas kieli
SV: rena sprket
DE: reine Sprache
FR: langue pure
quasi-correctness
Definition: characteristic quality of translations that
are grammatically correct but marked by covert errors
such as untypical distributions of particular structures
or lexical items, untypical rhetorical structure etc.
Source: Vehmas-Lehto 1989
FI: nennisvirheettmyys
SV: kvasikorrekthet
DE: Quasi-Richtigkeit
FR: quasi-correction
radical translation
Definition: kind of translation needed to communicate
with a people whose language no-one else knows, not
even the translator; the translator therefore has to
learn the language from nothing, as he/she translates
Source: Quine 1960
FI: radikaali kntminen
SV: radikal versttning
DE: radikale bersetzung
FR: traduction radicale
rank-bound translation
Definition: type of translation where target-language
equivalents represent the same rank (morpheme,
word, phrase, clause, sentence) as the sourcelanguage items
Source: Catford 1965
FI: ranginmukainen knns
SV: rangbunden versttning
DE: Rang-gebundene bersetzung
FR: traduction li au rang
raw translation
Definition: rough translation, just to indicate the
contents of a text, for a client who needs to know
whether to commission a full translation or not; could
be done by a machine
FI: raakaknns
SV: rversttning
DE: Rohbersetzung
FR: traduction brute

realia, culture-bound terms, cultural references

Definition: culture-bound elements and concepts,
which pose particular translation problems in some
situations
FI: kulttuurisidonnaiset termit, kulttuurisidonnaiset
ksitteet, reaalit
SV: realia, kulturbundna element
DE: Realienbezeichnungen
FR: termes culturels, dsignateurs culturels
regime
Definition: set of accepted principles, norms and
procedures concerning intercultural relations that
help international cooperation
Source: Pym 1992
FI: jrjestys, jrjestelm
SV: regim
DE: Ordnung, Regime
FR: rgime
regulative translation conventions
Definition: conventions (or norms) that describe how
typical translation problems are usually dealt with in a
given culture, e.g. how to translate quotations or
realia
Source: Nord 1991b
FI: regulatiiviset knnskonventiot, stelevt
knnskonventiot
SV: reglerande versttningskonventioner
DE: regulative bersetzungskonventionen
FR: conventions rgulatives de la traduction
relay interpreting
Definition: interpreting from language A via language
B into language C, i.e. a process that involves two
interpreters (because no interpreter present can go
direct from A to C)
FI: reletulkkaus
SV: reltolkning
DE: Relais-Dolmetschen
FR: interprtation avec relais
relevance
Definition: general principle of communication,
according to Relevance Theory; a communication that
is optimally relevant produces maximum contextual
effect with minimum cognitive processing effort
Source: Gutt 1991
SV: relevans
FI: relevanssi

DE: Relevanz
FR: pertinence
requester > client
restricted language > controlled language
restructuring
Definition: final stage in a model of the translation
process, when target-language items and structures at
the level of kernel structure are stylistically polished
and made appropriate to the intended readership
Source: Nida and Taber 1969
FI: muotoilu, viimeistely
SV: beartbetning, omstrukturering
DE: Umstrukturierung
FR: restructuration
retranslation
Definition: new translation of a previously translated
text, into the same target language
FI: uudelleenknns, uudelleenkntminen
SV: nyversttning, terversttning
DE: Neubersetzung
FR: retraduction
rewording > intralingual translation
rewriting
Definition: various ways of manipulating an original
text, or writing it again, including translating, editing,
anthologizing, reviewing, adapting
Source: Lefevere 1992
FI: uudelleenkirjoitus, uudelleenkirjoittaminen
SV: omarbetning, omskrivning, omredigering
DE: Bearbeitung
FR: rcriture

FI: AV-kntminen
SV: AV-versttning
DE: multimediale bersetzung
FR: traduction audiovisuelle
segmentation
Definition: process of splitting a source text and its
translation into small, corresponding chunks, for the
purposes of a comparative analysis
Source: Vinay and Darbelnet 1958, Delisle 1999
FI: segmentointi
SV: segmentation
DE: Segmentierung
FR: dcoupage
selective translation
Definition: kind of translation that selects certain
desired elements of the source text and translates
only those, e.g. for a client who only wants a
particular kind of information
Source: Gouadec 1990
FI: selektiivinen kntminen, valikoiva kntminen
SV: selektiv versttning
DE: selektive bersetzung
FR: traduction slective
self-translation > autotranslation
semantic disambiguation
Definition: process of clarifying polysemic words in the
source text, in order to determine the contextual
meaning
Source: Hnig 1976
FI: merkityksen selventminen
SV: semantisk disambiguering
DE: Monosemierung
FR: dsambiguation

scheme change
Definition: syntactic translation technique or strategy;
a change that concerns rhetorical schemes such as
parallelism, repetition, alliteration, metrical rhythm
etc.
FI: skeeman muutos, skeemanvaihto
SV: skematisk frndring, frndrad schema
DE: Schemawechsel
FR: changement schmatique

semantic strategy (or technique)

Definition: any kind of translation technique (or
strategy) concerning changes in lexical, figurative and
thematic meaning
FI: semanttinen knnsstrategia
SV: semantisk versttningsstrategi
DE: semantische bersetzungsstrategie
FR: stratgie smantique

screen translation, audiovisual translation,

multimedia translation
Definition: translation of any text (or other product)
distributed via a TV, computer or other screen

semantic translation
Definition: kind of translation that aims to preserve
the form of the original fairly closely, even at the cost
of naturalness; typically used for high-status source
texts

Source: Newmark 1981

FI: semanttinen knns
SV: semantisk versttning
DE: semantische bersetzung
FR: traduction smantique
sense-for-sense translation
Definition: general type of translation which
emphasizes meaning rather than form
FI: merkityksen kntminen
SV: versttning av betydelse, betydelse-fr-betydelse
versttning
DE: sinngetreue bersetzung
FR: traduction du sens
serial translation
Definition: research method in which a text is
translated from language A into language B, then from
B into C, and so on, perhaps finally into A again
Source: Casagrande 1954
FI: ketjukntminen
SV: kedjeversttning
DE: Serienbersetzung
FR: traduction en chane

Stegreifbersetzen, prima vista bersetzung

FR: traduction vue
sign (or signed) language interpreting
Definition: interpreting between a spoken language
and a sign language
FI: viittomakielen tulkkaus
SV: teckensprkstolkning
DE: Zeichensprachendolmetschen,
Gebrdendolmetschen
FR: interprtation en langue des signes
simultaneous interpreting
Definition: interpreting in which the interpreter listens
and translates at about the same time, without taking
notes, so that he/she is translating segment A while
listening to segment B
FI: simultaanitulkkaus
SV: simultantolkning
DE: Simultandolmetschen
FR: interprtation simultane

shadowing
Definition: technique used in teaching interpreting,
where trainees have to repeat a message in the same
language
FI: shadowing
SV: shadowing
DE: Shadowing
FR: rptition avec dcalage

situational equivalence
Definition: kind of equivalence based not on linguistic
but on situational factors; e.g. English tea might be
translated as coffee in some circumstances, if coffee
had a corresponding cultural status in the target
culture
FI: tilanne-ekvivalenssi, tilannevastaavuus,
funktionaalinen analogia
SV: situationell ekvivalens
DE: situationelle quivalenz
FR: quivalence situationnelle

shift
Definition: linguistic change of some kind in
translation; usually seen as a difference or contrast of
linguistic product, but sometimes seen as a process
Source: Catford 1965
FI: knnsvaihdos, knnsvaihto
SV: byte, frndring
DE: Wechsel
FR: changement, glissement

skopos theory
Definition: theory according to which a translators
decisions are determined primarily by the skopos
(Greek for aim, purpose) of the target text
Source: Reiss and Vermeer 1984
FI: skoposteoria
SV: skoposteori
DE: Skopostheorie
FR: thorie du skopos

sight translation
Definition: unprepared oral translation of a written
text
FI: prima vista -knns
SV: extempore-versttning
DE: Vom-Blatt-bersetzung, Spontanbersetzung,

source language
Definition: language translated out of
FI: lhtkieli, lhdekieli, alkukieli
SV: kllsprk
DE: Ausgangssprache, Originalsprache
FR: langue source, langue de dpart, langue de
loriginal

source text (ST)

Definition: original text to be translated
FI: lhtteksti, lhdeteksti, alkuteksti
SV: klltext, utgngstext
DE: Ausgangstext, Originaltext
FR: texte de dpart, texte source

stylistic equivalence
Definition: kind of equivalence; sameness of style
FI: stilistinen ekvivalenssi, tyylillinen ekvivalenssi
SV: stilistisk ekvivalens
DE: stilistische quivalenz
FR: quivalence stylistique

specification
Definition: translation technique or strategy in which
the target-text item is more specific than the
corresponding source item
FI: tarkentaminen
SV: specifikation
DE: Spezifizierung
FR: spcification, hyponymisation

sublanguage > controlled language

standardization > growing standardization

strategy, translation strategy
Definition 1: general principle adopted by a translator
to guide some aspect of the translation of a given text,
such as a strategy to translate very freely, or a
strategy for using foot-notes.
Note: some scholars use the term global strategy in
this sense.
Definition 2:. specific translation method (solution
type) for translating some feature of the source text,
such as allusions, swearwords, puns, dialect etc.
Typically, such a feature is seen as a translation
problem. In this definition, strategies are usually
classified as various kinds of textual change, between
source and target text.
Note: some scholars use the term local strategy in
this sense, or technique or shift or tactic.
Sometimes the same names are used both both to
describe a type of global strategy and a type of (local)
technique (e.g. foreignization).
FI: knnsstrategia
SV: versttningsstrategi
DE: bersetzungsstrategie
FR: procd de traduction, stratgie de traduction
structure shift
Definition: change of structure from source to target,
e.g. from Subject-Verb to Verb-Subject
Source: Catford 1965
FI: rakenteen vaihdos, rakenteen vaihto
SV: strukturbyte
DE: nderung der grammatischen Struktur,
Strukturennderung
FR: dcalage structurel

subtitling, subtitles
Definition: screen translation used in audio-visual
communication, in which speech is translated into
written language
FI: tekstitys
SV: textning, AV-versttning, undertextning
DE: Untertitel, mit ntertitel versehen
FR: sous-titrage
summary translation, abstract translation, gist
translation
Definition: translation which reduces the source text
to the length of a synopsis
Source: Gouadec 1990
FI: tiivistelmknns
SV: sammanfattande versttning
DE: Resmee-bersetzung, zusammenfassende
bersetzung
FR: traduction synoptique
surtitling, surtitles
Definition: written translations of spoken language,
projected above the stage e.g. in opera performances
FI: oopperatekstitys
SV: textning, vertextning
DE: bertitel
FR: surtitrage
synonymy
Definition: semantic translation strategy; selecting not
the obvious equivalent but a synonym or nearsynonym for it, e.g. to avoid repetition
FI: synonymia
SV: synonymstrategi, synonymi
DE: Synonymie
FR: (stratgie de) synonymie
syntactic strategy (or technique)
Definition: any kind of translation technique (or
strategy) which involves a syntactic change
FI: syntaktinen knnsstrategia
SV: syntaxstrategi, syntaktisk versttningsstrategi

DE: syntaktische bersetzungsstrategie

FR: stratgie syntaxique
target language, TL
Definition: language translated into
FI: tulokieli, kohdekieli
SV: mlsprk
DE: Zielsprache
FR: langue darrive, langue cible
target language enrichment
Definition: way that translations enrich the target
language by introducing new terms, forms or genres
etc.
FI: kohdekielen rikastaminen
SV: berikande av mlsprket
DE: Bereicherung der Zielsprache
FR: enrichissement de la langue cible
target text, TT
Definition: the translation itself, in the target language
FI: kohdeteksti, tuloteksti
SV: mltext, sluttext
DE: Zieltext
FR: texte darrive, texte cible
technique, translation technique
Definition: a specific textual procedure for translating
a particular structure or item. Examples of techniques
are transposition, calque, explicitation, condensation,
omission.
Note: some scholars use the term strategy or local
strategy or procedure or shift in this sense.
FI: knnstekniikka
SV: versttningsteknik
DE: bersetzungsverfahren
FR: technique, procd
term bank
Definition: computer-based collection of terminology
FI: termipankki
SV: termbank
DE: Termenbank, Terminilogiedatenbank
FR: banque de terminologie
terminology
Definition 1: specialized vocabulary, ideally with oneto-one equivalents in other languages, usually
associated with a particular restricted domain
Definition 2: science which researches the concepts,
systems of concepts, terms and terminologies in one
or more languages

FI: (1) termist, (2) terminologia

SV: (1) terminologi, (2) terminologi, terminologilra
DE: Terminologie
FR: terminologie
tertium comparationis
Definition: literally, the third term of a comparison;
that which remains invariant in translation or in
contrastive analysis, which forms the basis for the
comparison
FI: tertium comparationis
SV: tertium comparationis
DE: Tertium Comparationis
FR: tertium comparationis
textual equivalence
Definition: relation that is observed to exist between
an element of a source text and a corresponding
element in its translation, as accepted by a competent
bilingual
Source: Catford 1965
FI: tekstiekvivalenssi
SV: textuell ekvivalens
DE: textuelle quivalenz
FR: quivalence textuelle
theory of sense > interpretive theory
thick translation > ethnographic translation
think-aloud protocol, TAP
Definition: research method in which translators are
asked to speak aloud as they translate; they are
recorded as they verbalize their thoughts about what
they are doing
Source: Krings 1986
FI: protokollatutkimus
SV: tala-hgtprotokoll, tnka-hgt-protokoll, TAPprotokoll
DE: Verfahren des Lauten Denkens
FR: protocoles de rflexion haute voix, protocole de
rflexion parle, protocole de verbalisation
transcription
Definition: kind of transfer or borrowing that
preserves the sounds or letters or words of the
original; sometimes used e.g. in translating place
names or realia
FI: transkriptio
SV: transkription
DE: Transkription
FR: transcription

transediting
Definition: pragmatic translation strategy which
involves radical editing, in order to make the target
text clearer or communicatively more efficient than a
poor-quality source text; and/or to adapt the
translation to its intended function; and/or to adapt it
to the target culture
Source: Stetting 1989
FI: transeditointi
SV: transeditering, transredigering
DE: Transredaktion
FR: transdition
transeme
Definition: basic translational unit used in the analysis
of a translation; a basic semantic structure expressing
a state of affairs (a proposition) or some kind of
adverbial
Source: Leuven-Zwart 1989/1990
FI: transeemi
SV: transem
DE: Transeme
FR: transme
transfer
Definition 1: second stage in Nida and Tabers model,
after analysis and before restructuring; the stage at
which the message passes from source to target.
Definition 2: general sense of change or movement,
usually across a border; in this sense, translation itself
is seen as just one kind of transfer
FI: siirto
SV: (1) verfringsskede, (1, 2) verfring
DE: Transfer
FR: transfert
translatability
Definition: possibility of translating, or of being
translated
FI: knnettvyys
SV: versttbarhet
DE: bersetzbarkeit
FR: traduisibilit
translate
Definition: to turn into ones own or another language
FI: knt
SV: verstta
DE: bersetzen
FR: traduire

translation
Definition: text in one language that represents a text
in another language (in some way, for some purpose);
process of producing a translation
Note: in German, die Translation is often used as a
cover-term to include both written and oral
translation.
FI: knns, kntminen
SV: versttning
DE: bersetzung
FR: traduction
translation aids
Definition: any tool that helps the translator, including
dictionaries, reference works, term banks and
computer programs of all kinds
Source: Delisle 1999
FI: kntjn apuvlineet, kntmisen apuvlineet
SV: hjlpmedel i versttningsarbetet
DE: bersetzungshilfe
FR: aides la traduction
translation commentary
Definition: a translators commentary explaining and
justifying translatorial decisions, usually accompanied
by the translation itself
FI: kntjn kommentaareilla varustettu knns,
knnskommentaari
SV: kommenterad versttning
DE: kommentierte bersetzung
FR: traduction commente
translation criticism > translation assessment
translation equivalent
Definition: expression in a target language which can
translate a source-language expression in certain
contexts
FI: knnsvastine
SV: versttningsekvivalent
DE: bersetzungsquivalent
FR: quivalent traductionnel
translation law
Definition: general hypothesis about a possible
universal tendency in translatorial behaviour, such as
interference or increasing standardization
Source: Toury 1995
FI: knnslaki, kntmisen laki
SV: versttningslag

DE: bersetzungsgesetz
FR: loi de traduction
translation memory
Definition: a computer program containing files of
previous translations which can be automatically
accessed in order to speed up a translation task,
and/or ensure consistency with previous translations
FI: knnsmuisti
SV: versttningsminne
DE: besetzungsspeicher
FR: mmoire de traduction
translational
Definition: having to do with translation or
translations
FI: knns-, kntmisen
SV: translatorisk
DE: bersetzungsFR: traductionnel
translationese
Definition: style typical of translations that are not
natural or fluent enough; typical stylistic weaknesses
of translated texts
FI: knnskieli
SV: versttarsprk, versttningssprk
DE: bersetzersprache
FR: langue de la traduction
translation studies
Definition: the whole field of research on translation
Source: Holmes 1988
FI: knnstiede, kntmisen tutkimus
SV: versttningsvetenskap, traductologi
DE: Translationswissenschaft (includes also
interpreting), bersetzungswissenschaft
FR: traductologie
translation theory
Definition: either a synonym for Translation Studies,
or used to denote the more theoretical aspects of
translation research
FI: kntmisen teoria, knnsteoria
SV: versttningsteori
DE: bersetzungstheorie
FR: thorie de la traduction
translation unit, unit of translation
Definition: segment of text dealt with by the
translator as a single unit,
for the purposes of translation

FI: knnsyksikk
SV: versttningsenhet
DE: bersetzungseinheit
FR: unit de traduction
translation universals
Definition: features of translations that may be
universal (or at least very general), regardless of the
languages concerned, such as a tendency to be more
explicit
Source: Baker 1993
FI: knnsuniversaalit, kntmisen universaalit
SV: versttandets universaler,
versttningsuniversaler
DE: Universalien der bersetzung
FR: universaux de la traduction
translator visibility
Definition: (indications of) the textual or social
presence of the translator
Source: Venuti 1995
FI: kntjn nkyvyys
SV: versttarens synlighet
DE: Sichtbarkeit des bersetzers
FR: visibilit du traducteur
translatorial
Definition: having to do with translators
FI: kntj-, kntjn
SV: versttar-, translatorisk
DE: bersetzer-, bersetzerischFR: traductif
translatorial action
Definition: whole process of producing a translation,
with all the agents involved
Source: Holz-Mnttri 1984
SV: versttningsverksamhet, translatorisk
verksamhet
FI: kntjn toiminta
DE: translatorisches Handeln
FR: acte traductionnel, action traductionnelle
translatorial competence
Definition: abilities required of a professional
translator
FI: kntjn kompetenssi
SV: versttarkompetens
DE: bersetzungsfertigkeit, bersetzungskompetenz,
translatorische Kompetenz
FR: comptence du traducteur

transliteration
Definition: replacing of source-language graphological
units by target-language ones, in cases where the two
language have different writing systems
Source: Catford 1965
FI: translitteraatio
SV: translitteration
DE: Transliteration
FR: translittration
transmutation > intersemiotic translation
transposition
Definition: syntactic translation technique or strategy
involving a change of word-class (e.g. from noun to
verb)
Source: Vinay and Darbelnet 1958
FI: transpositio
SV: transposition
DE: Transposition
FR: transposition
trope change
Definition: semantic translation technique or strategy:
change in the use of figurative expressions such as
metaphor, personification etc.
Source: Chesterman 1997
FI: kielikuvan muutos
SV: frndrad trop
DE: Tropenwechsel
FR: changement tropique
undertranslation
Definition: loss of detail in a translation; a translation
with this feature
Source Newmark 1988, Delisle 1999
FI: alikntminen
SV: underversttning
DE: Unterdifferenzierung, bergeneralisierung
FR: sous-traduction
unit of translation > translation unit
unit shift
Definition: syntactic translation technique or strategy;
a change of unit from source to target (the units are
sentence, clause, phrase, word, morpheme)
Source: Catford 1965
FI: yksiknvaihdos, yksiknvaihto
SV: enhetsbyte
DE: Einheitswechsel
FR: changement dunit

verbal consistency
Definition: policy of translating the same source-text
word always by the same target-text word in a given
text (compare contextual consistecy)
FI: sanakonkordanssi
SV: ordkonkordans
DE: verbale Konsistenz
FR: cohrence lexicale
verifiability
Definition: a feature that distinguishes translating
from interpreting: translators can revise as they
translate
Source: Reiss and Vermeer 1984
FI: kontrolloitavuus, korjattavuus, tarkastettavuus
SV: kontrollerbarhet
DE: Kontrollierbarkeit
FR: vrifiabilit
version
Definition 1: a possible translation, one of several
Definition 2: a kind of translation that is so changed
from the original that one does not want to call it a
translation
FI: versio
SV: version
DE: Version
FR: version (Note: version in French normally
means a translation into the mother tongue)
vertical translation
Definition: translation between a high-status culture
and a low-status one,
especially with reference to the Middle Ages
Source: Folena 1974/1991
FI: vertikaalinen knns
SV: vertikal versttning
DE: vertikale bersetzung
FR: traduction verticale
visibility change
Definition: pragmatic translation technique or strategy
involving a change in the status of the authors
presence, or concerning the overt intrusion or
foregrounding of the translators presence; e.g. via
translators footnotes, bracketed comments (such as
explanations of puns) or added glosses
FI: nkyvyyden muutos
SV: visibilitetbyte, frndrad synlighet
DE: Sichtbarkeitswechsel
FR: changement de visibilit

voice over, voice-over

Definition: form of audiovisual translation, in which
the original sound can still be heard in the background
while the translated speech is broadcast over the
original
FI: voice over
SV: voice over
DE: Begleitkommentar
FR: voice over
whispered interpreting, chuchotage
Definition: interpreting where the interpreter, not
sitting in a special booth but close to the client,
whispers the translation simultaneously to the client
FI: kuiskaustulkkaus
SV: viskningstolkning
DE: Flsterdolmetschen
FR: interprtation chuchote, chuchotage