What is translational equivalence?

Translational equivalence is the similarity between a word (or expression) in one language and its translation in another. This similarity results from overlapping ranges of reference.

A translation equivalent is a corresponding word or expression in another language.

Here is an example of translational equivalence between Alamblak (Papua New Guinea) and English:

An English speaker might analyze the Alamblak word y&u0268;hop with two meanings:

1. yesterday
2. tomorrow

The two English words are simple translational equivalents.

However, there is another word in Alamblak that can be analyzed as follows:

1. day before yesterday
2. day after tomorrow

These Alamblak words do not have two senses even though they each have two simple translational equivalents. A single, explanatory analytic definition followed by translational equivalents is the preferable analysis:

1. one day removed from the present; yesterday, tomorrow

1. two days removed from the present; day before yesterday, day after tomorrow

Bruce, L. 1995 26–27

Context for this page:

• Concept module: translational equivalence
• In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): T
• In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
• In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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