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The Importance of Linguistics to Translation

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 The Importance of Linguistics to Translation

IJIOMA Patricia Ngozi

National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Aba Nigeria

Abstract: Translation is a process of transferring a message from one language to

another. To be a translator, the basic requirement is a good knowledge of the working
languages. It then implies that translation cannot exist without language. Linguistics
is the scientific study of language and language is at crossroads of all disciplines.
This requires a translator to go beyond the linguistic aspects of the language to the
extra linguistics. This paper discusses the relevance of linguistics to translation, since
the two work with a common tool, language, which is aimed at communication.

Key words: Linguistics, Translation, Language, culture and communication

Résumé : La traduction est un processus de transfert d‟un message d‟une langue vers
une autre. Pour traduire, le traducteur doit avoir une connaissance profonde des deux
langues de travail. Cela implique que la langue fait une partie intégrale de la
traduction. La linguistique est l‟étude scientifique du langage humain étant donné que
la langue est au carrefour de toutes disciplines. Le traducteur doit donc tenir compte
d‟aspects linguistiques et extralinguistiques. Dans notre travail, nous traitons
l‟importance de la linguistique à la traduction : les deux ont le même but, la
communication en utilisant la langue.

Mots clés : Linguistique, traduction, langue, culture et communication

Introduction

Translation as we know is the transfer of meaning from one language to another. It is

not the transfer of words from one language to another. This is because languages are
not just different words. Translation then, represents the transformation of thoughts,
feelings or desires, originally designed in one language into the same kind of
thoughts, feelings and desires in another language. In other words, translation
mediates between languages. House (2009:11) defines translation as “not only a
linguistic act, it is also a cultural one, an act of communication across cultures”.

Linguistics, on the other hand, is the scientific study of language. It has three
categories: the language form, the language meaning and language in context. This is
further divided into subfields which include morphology, phonology, syntax,
semantics etc. Although linguistics is a study of language, a number of other
disciplines are relevant to language and intersect with it. The relationship between
translation and linguistics will be discussed. This of course will lead to the discovery
of the impact the knowledge of linguistics makes in the translation process.

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1. Sources of Data Collection

The data in the paper were collected from Ijioma (2010; 2015), Ijioma and
Ezeafulukwe (2015) and Onukawa (2011).

1.1 Translation theories and linguistics

Translation process is backed by different theories proposed by different linguists at

different times. Each definition of translation is as a result of one theory or the other.
The translation theories include linguistic theory which is based on the comparison of
literary texts rather than of literary genres and stylistic features. Sociolinguistic theory
focuses on both the linguistic and extra linguistic aspects of the text. Skopos theory is
governed by purpose of the translation. Communicative and interpretative theories
stress the meaning of a text. Linguistic theory views translation as a linguistic activity.
According to Catford (1965:20) translation is:

The replacement of textual material in one

language (source language) by equivalent
textual material in another language
(target language)

There are various branches of linguistics which include historical linguistics,

sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, applied linguistics, computational linguistics and
stylistics etc. Hodges (no date) opines that

The linguistic approach to translation incorporates

the following: meaning, equivalence, shift, text
purpose and analysis, and discourse register; which
can be examined in the contexts of structural and
functional linguistics, semantics, pragmatics
correspondence, sociolinguistics and stylistics.

The implication from the above is that in the study of language, many aspects of life
come into play both linguistics and extra linguistics. A translator acts as a mediator
between languages. And language according to Bellos (2011:349) is “how a social
group constitutes and identifies itself”. Language is culturally embedded. It both
expresses and shapes cultural reality, and the meanings of linguistic items. Translation
mediates not only between languages but also between cultures. House (2001:3) is of
the same view that

Translation mediates between languages, societies

and literatures, and it is through translation that
linguistic and cultural barriers may be overcome.

III. Relationship between translation and linguistics

The act of translation attracts the attention of many disciplines and methods,
especially contrastive analysis. Computational linguistics applies computer
technology to address questions in theoretical linguistics as well as to create
applications for use in data retrieval, machine translation and other uses. Tymoczko
(2007) opines that:

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 translation involves negotiating fundamental
linguistic and cultural asymmetries. Examples
might include lexical asymmetries based on
contrast, such as yes/noin English vs. oui/non/
si in French…

Lexical asymmetries also are apparent in differences in semantic fields of

corresponding words across two languages and in divergent patterns of semiosis.
There are also morphological asymmetries such as the tense differences between
languages that require distinguishing completed action from continuous action, or
distinction in languages that mark gender or number and those that do not. Syntax is
also often highly variable between languages, particularly in translation across two
language families, and idioms are by definition almost always asymmetrical across
languages. (Tymoczko:2013). The knowledge of linguistics can be applied in
translation and interpreting. This kind of analysis can be successfully applied in
looking at structures and idioms of one language and comparing them to their
semantic counterparts in another language. In this era of information technology and
machine translations, computational linguistics is very important. In some cases, it is
observed that a particular phrase, idiom or concept exists only in one language or it is
a common expression in several languages.

Phonology a branch of linguistics deals with sounds systems of a language which

include tones and intonation. A word can mean different things if not properly tone
marked. This leads to ambiguity and wrong information which sometimes may be life
threatening. Citing Igbo language as an example, we have words with the same
orthography but different meanings. The only way to decipher the meanings is by tone
marks. Here are some examples:
Akwa could mean cry, egg, cloth, bed without the right tones.

ákwá cry
ákwà cloth
àkwà bed
àkwá egg

Egbe could mean gun or kite; Otu could mean one or vagina; Isi could mean head,
smell or blindness; Odu could mean tail or piston. etc.

égbè gun
égbé kite
Òtú one
Ọtụ vagina
Ódú piston
Òdú tail etc.

Each language has its own structure, and the structure of language falls within the
domain of linguistics. A translator should be conversant with the structures of his
working languages. The problems of translation are closely related to the problems of
linguistics analysis, and therefore, to the theory of language learning and that makes
translation a discipline in applied linguistics. The knowledge attained in linguistics

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has many practical applications including translation which plays a vital role in the
transfer of information from one linguistic code to another. Some examples are given
below to buttress the points cited above.

Igbo : Diochi anaghị ekwucha ihe ọhụrụ na elu nkwụ.

Literal : wine tapper not talk all see on top palm tree.
English : Keep secret, secret.
Igbo : Nwata bulie nna ya elu, ọgọdọ ayọchie ya anya.
Literal : child carry father up loin cloth cover his eyes.
English : One does not insult an elder without adverse consequences.
Igbo : Anaghị agba aka ahụ nwata eze.
Literal : not empty hand see child teeth.
English : Nothing goes for nothing
Igbo : Nkịta richa nsị, eze ere ewu.
Literal : dog eat faeces teeth decay goat.
English :You rob Peter to pay Paul.
Igbo : Ihe ejina waa ọgọdọ ma amụ aputala.
Literal : thing use make loincloth penis not show.
English : The end justifies the means.
Here are some idioms:
Igbo : Obi bụ onye isi ike.
Literal : Obi is person head strong.
English : Obi is a stubborn person.
Igbo : Ada di ime ọkwa.
Literal : Ada is pregnant eagle.
English : Ada is pregnant out of wedlock.

If the words used in these idioms are taken on their face value, they will give different
meanings altogether. This is because words or signifiers have significant role to play
in decoding meaning. If the translator does not understand the meaning of the words
and phrases in the source text, he would not be able to convey the correct meaning
into the target language. The translator should be aware of the historical and cultural
background of both the source and target languages. Translation and language are
embedded in social and cultural systems. Translation should therefore be seen as both
a linguistic and cultural activity. According to House (2009:11)

Translation is not only a linguistic act, it is also a

cultural one, an act of communication across culture.
Translating always involves both language and culture
simply because the two cannot be really separated.

Words as basic concepts in context have an important role in translation. Certain

English concepts do not exist in Igbo, for example; Snow, Winter, Cheese etc.Also in
Igbo, at the word level, we have Ọjị, Ụgụrụ, nkwụ etc. These concepts do not exist in
English. In Igbo, tortoise is assigned a male status, while in French it is a female, and
a queen at that. In the same vein, while the tortoise is seen as being cunning in Igbo, it
is the fox that is regarded as such in English. Translation equivalence can be
stipulated explicitly or implicitly, as can any linguistic behavior including grammar or
lexis.

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Examples:
EnglishFrenchIgbo
Tortoise la tortue Mbe
King le roi Eze
Queen la reine Ugoeze

If the translator is not conversant with the structures of both languages, it becomes
impossible to transfer the meaning from one language to the other. Jakobson
(2009:139) observes that “no one can understand „cheese‟ unless he has an
acquaintance with the meaning assigned to this word in the lexical code of English”.
The Igbo proverbs and idioms cited above, will pose some problems if the translator
is not acquainted with the historical and social background of the Igbo people which
gave rise to them. Communication as we can see comprises both linguistic and non
linguistic action. According to Brisset (2009:337) “language is an indispensable
element in the realization of verbal act. It is a necessary precondition for
communication”. Depending on what language you are translating, the same concepts
may translate differently between countries, as words may convey different meanings
depending on the location that they are used. Mistranslating may become offensive.
Language, linguistics and translation are asymmetrically related, this can best be
described by this diagram.

(Ijioma P.N 2015)

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 Conclusion

Translation has remained a central component of the language learning process

because it uses materials and results from other linguistic disciplines. It is a known
fact that without language, translation cannot exist and a translator cannot work
without the knowledge of both the source and target languages. Cross-linguistics
understanding underlies the reading and writing skills necessary for translation,
translation description and translation criticism. Since linguistics gives one an
understanding of the mechanics of language, knowledge of linguistics will be of great
help to the translator. Catford (1965:1) describes this better in his definition of
translation as, “an operation performed on languages”. Studying linguistics enables
one to learn how language works, how it changes and varies, how it is used, preserved
and processed. When you study linguistics, you are at the crossroad of every
discipline and translation too is at the crossroad of every discipline. Fawcett (1997:2)
observes that “a translator who lacks at least a basic knowledge of linguistics is
somebody who is working with an incomplete toolkit”.
Finally, a translator works with language and linguistics is the scientific study of
language. The two work together for a better result. This is because a translator
ensures a correct translation. If the language is not correct, what is said is not what is
meant, and then there is no communication. We should note that the main aim of
language and translation is communication.

References

Bellos D., 2011: Is that a Fish in your Ear? Translation and the Meaning of
Everything, London, Penguin Books, 390p.
Brisset A., 2009: The Search for a Native Language: Translation and Cultural
Identity, Translated by Rosalind Gill and Roger Gannon, Translation Studies Reader,
(ed. Venuti Lawrence) London, Routeledge, pp. 337-368.
Catford J. C., 1965: A Linguistic Theory of Translation, London. Oxford University
Press. 105p.
Fawcett P., 1997: Translation and Language: Linguistics Theory Explained,
Manchester, St. Jerome Publishing.
House, J., 2009: Translation: Oxford Introduction to Language Study, (ed.) H.G
Widdowson, Oxford University Press 122p.
Jakobson R., 2009: On Linguistics Aspects of Translation, Translation Studies
Reader, (ed.) Venuti, Lawrence, London, Routeledge. pp. 138-151.
Tymoczko, M., 2007: Enlarging Translation, Empowering Translators, Manchester,
England, St. Jerome Publishing.

Tymoczko M., 2013: Translation Theory: General Considerations About Theory, In

The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics, (ed.) Carol A. Chapelle., Blackwell
Publishing Ltd. pp. 1-10.

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