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Should we translate proper nouns?

January 21 , 2022

Should we translate proper nouns?

by Target Language Translation Services

- January 21 2022

translating proper nouns


Each language has its own grammatical rules, alphabet and system of pronunciation. For this reason personal names or names of places can change depending on these rules.

Most people can understand what we mean when we say Thomas Alva Edison. However, actually it changes depending on the language you are speaking.

Different translation procedures for translating personal names, famous names and all proper names have been presented: leaving the term in the source language, translating it into the target language or transliterating (transcribing the pronunciation in the target alphabet). Let’s see some examples about how each of these strategies is utilized.

Keep in the source language

As a general rule, if the source script and target script are different, no words should be left in the source script in your translation. There are exceptions to this. English borrowings have made their way into many languages worldwide and it has become common to see English words kept as-is in languages with other scripts like Russian or Japanese.

So when is it okay to leave a source word as-is in your target language?

--If the word is a loanword and has settled firmly into daily usage. Like some French words for food dishes in English (quiche).

--Names of associations and organizations are provided in the source language for easy reference.

--Popular acronyms have also made it into many different languages like ATM, EU, and others.

This is a small list because leaving a word in its original language is rarely the correct choice and should be used with caution. The most popular route is the next option: transliteration.

Transliteration

This is by far the most popular choice for translating a proper noun into your target language. Transliteration is the method of converting the characters written in the source script to the target script. This is different from translation because it converts the pronunciation of the source word, not its meaning.

Most names for popular items, destinations, and other words have already been transliterated into your language. The key here is to research the correct way to write the word in your target.

The tricky part comes in when the source word isn’t well-known. This includes minor cities, names of dishes, associations or even cultural events or items. Whether this particular idea is or is not well-known in the target language and culture is a judgment that the translator needs to make. Whereas flamenco is a well-known Spanish dance, its cousin Sevillanas is not. So the strategy here is two-fold: transliterate into your target script plus add a description.

Armed with these tips, how do you figure out which source sound maps to which target character? Unless a customer provides specific rules on how to transliterate, generally there are several accepted methods in any language pair. Remember to first research if the name in your text has already been transliterated previously. Also make sure you look up the different methods for transliteration that exist in your language pair.

Translation

The last option is to translate the meaning of the source word into your target. Similar to the first option, proper nouns are translated only in several very specific cases and you must be careful when choosing this path.

For instance, in names of roads, stations, and buildings, the word “road” or “station” would be translated, while the name itself should be transliterated.

Names of ingredients in a menu require a translation and may require a further description if the ingredient is not well-known in the target language. For instance, the translation for サンマ is “Pacific Saury”. For a fish species of lesser fame like saury, a further description is necessary for the audience to understand what they’re about to eat, like this: サンマ → Pacific Saury (a North Pacific seawater red fish).


The above are the most common tools, tips and a wealth of resources to translate proper nouns. The next time you encounter a new name in your translation, see which strategy best fits your situation. Remember that mixing transliteration and translation is also a popular path to get you out of your next proper noun crossroads.



This article is reprinted from okodia, MODERN POLYGLOTS and gengo.

If there is a copyright, please inform us in time, we will delete it right the first time.

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