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A model to achieve communicative equivalence in translation dictionaries

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / Full text to be digitised and attached to bibliographic record. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Bilingual dictionaries often do not satisfy the requirements of the dictionary users because
they contain a relatively small percentage of articles displaying absolute equivalence between
the source and the target language. This impedes the users from retrieving the required
information. Communicative equivalence is a relation holding between source and target
language entries in translation dictionaries. A translation equivalent should not be seen as a
statement about the meaning of the lemma, but it should be regarded as an item that
represents the target language and can be used to translate a specific occurrence of the
source language item. If semantic and communicative equivalence do not hold between the
source and the target language dictionary users will not be able to use the target language
successfully. Instead of achieving communicative equivalence, the dictionary user is confused
and ends up using language in an unacceptable way. Relying on translation dictionaries to
improve their language skills and to learn more about the target language, dictionary users
often come across haphazardly arranged articles in dictionaries that do not lead to
communicative equivalence. In this case, the dictionary users are confused and end up using
language in an unacceptable way.
This thesis explores and investigates different ways to achieve communicative equivalence in
translation dictionaries. The research formulates some of the needed guidelines for the
lexicographers of translation dictionaries. It intends to assist lexicographers to compile useroriented
translation dictionaries that can foster multilingualism amongst the dictionary users.
As a result of this research, lexicographers will be able to compile translation dictionaries that
will assist dictionary users to achieve communicative success. These dictionaries will
establish semantic and communicative resemblance between the source and the target
language forms. As a lexicographic problem, communicative equivalence is being addressed
in the thesis and the researcher aims to make lexicographers aware of the mistakes in
translation dictionaries. The objective of the thesis is to help lexicographers with the
compilation of dictionaries where the users can achieve an optimal retrieval of information.
The research focuses on metalexicographic issues in order to enhance the quality of practical
lexicography. By doing so both the practical and theoretical lexicography can benefit from this
research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tweetalige woordeboeke voldoen dikwels nie aan die behoeftes van hulle gebruikers nie
omdat hulle Onbeperkte aantal artikels bevat met absolute ekwivalensie tussen bron- en
doeltaal. Dit weerhou die gebruikers daarvan om die verlangde inligting te onttrek.
Kommunikatiewe ekwivalensie is onverhouding tussen die bron- en doeltaalinskrywings in
vertalende woordeboeke. OnVertaalekwivalent moet nie beskou word as Onuitspraak oor die
betekenis van die lemma nie maar dit moet gesien word as Onitem wat die doeltaal
verteenwoordig en wat gebruik kan word om onbepaalde optrede van die brontaalvorm te
vertaal. As semantiese en kommunikatiewe ekwivalensie nie tussen bron- en doeltaal
bestaan nie sal woordeboekgebruikers nie daartoe in staat wees om die doeltaal suksesvol te
gebruik nie. In stede daarvan om kommunikatiewe ekwivalensie te behaal, is die gebruiker
verward en gebruik hy taal op Ononaanvaarbare manier. Wanneer woordeboekgebruikers op
vertalende woordeboeke staatmaak om hulle taalgebruik te verbeter en meer oor die doeltaal
te leer, vind hulle dikwels arbitrêr geordende artikels in woordeboeke wat nie tot
kommunikatiewe ekwivalendie lei nie. Dit verwar gebruikers en lei tot foutiewe taalgebruik.
Hierdie tesis ondersoek verskillende maniere waarop kommunikatiewe ekwivalensie in
vertalende woordeboeke bereik kan word. Die navorsing lei tot die formulering van sommige
riglyne wat nodig is vir die opstellers van vertalende woordeboeke. Dit poog om leksikograwe
te help om gebruikersgerigte woordeboeke saam te stel wat veeltaligheid tussen die
gebruikers kan bevorder. As gevolg van hierdie navorsing sal leksikograwe daartoe in staat
wees om vertalende woordeboeke saam te stel wat gebruikers kan help om kommunikatiewe
ekwivalensie te bereik. Hierdie woordeboeke salon semantiese en kommunikatiewe
ooreenkoms tussen bron- en doeltaalvorme vestig. In hierdie tesis word kommunikatiewe
ekwivalensie as Onleksikografiese probleem behandel en die navorser poog om leksikograwe
bewus te maak van foute in vertalende woordeboeke. Die mikpunt van hierdie tesis is om
leksikograwe te help met die samestelling van woordeboeke waar gebruikers onoptimale
inligtingsherwinning kan behaal. Die navorsing fokus op metaleksikografiese aangeleenthede
ter wille van Onverhoging in die gehalte van die praktiese leksikografie. Sodoende kan sowel
die teoretiese as die praktiese leksikografie by hierdie navorsing baat vind.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52088
Date12 1900
CreatorsMphahlele, Motlokwe Clifford
ContributorsGouws, R. H., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format122 pages
RightsStellenbosch University

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