Exploring principles for translating vulgar lexical items from English to Sepedi in literary texts and fictional films
- Authors: Maboke, Emmanuel
- Date: 2025-04
- Subjects: Sepedi language, Vulgar -- Grammar, Historical , Translating and interpreting , Translation studies
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/72309 , vital:79209
- Description: This study explores translation principles for effectively rendering vulgar lexical items from English to Sepedi, with a focus on strategies and procedures applied in literary texts and fictional films. It investigates how linguistic and cultural competence contribute to achieving functional equivalence while preserving Sepedi’s stylistic and cultural integrity. Drawing on functional equivalence and the Skopos theory, the research examines strategies such as direct and oblique methods and procedures including cultural substitution, euphemistic expression, neutralisation and semantic modulation. The study contextualises vulgarity within the Bapedi culture, where principles of mutual respect and adherence to social norms often require careful handling of offensive language. It addresses the challenges of authentically translating vulgar expressions while respecting cultural sensitivities, particularly in a globalised context where the prevalence of vulgar lexical items in media and literature continues to grow. Using a multi-case study design, the research analyses examples of vulgar lexical items in various literary genres and film subtitles. Through comparative analysis and translation with commentary it identifies shortcomings in existing translations, such as over-reliance on euphemism or neutralisation, which can dilute meaning and emotional impact. The findings highlight the importance of balancing cultural appropriateness with the source text's intended meaning to maintain its functional equivalence. This study contributes to translation studies by offering a robust framework for translating culturally sensitive content in ways that respect both the source and target cultures. It advances practical translation methodologies for subtitling, literary translation and educational materials, supporting the preservation of Sepedi and aligning with South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 and constitutional goals of language equality. The research underscores the translator’s pivotal role in bridging linguistic and cultural divides, providing critical insights into the complexities of translating vulgar lexical items while fostering the growth and standardisation of South Africa’s indigenous languages. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04
- Authors: Maboke, Emmanuel
- Date: 2025-04
- Subjects: Sepedi language, Vulgar -- Grammar, Historical , Translating and interpreting , Translation studies
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/72309 , vital:79209
- Description: This study explores translation principles for effectively rendering vulgar lexical items from English to Sepedi, with a focus on strategies and procedures applied in literary texts and fictional films. It investigates how linguistic and cultural competence contribute to achieving functional equivalence while preserving Sepedi’s stylistic and cultural integrity. Drawing on functional equivalence and the Skopos theory, the research examines strategies such as direct and oblique methods and procedures including cultural substitution, euphemistic expression, neutralisation and semantic modulation. The study contextualises vulgarity within the Bapedi culture, where principles of mutual respect and adherence to social norms often require careful handling of offensive language. It addresses the challenges of authentically translating vulgar expressions while respecting cultural sensitivities, particularly in a globalised context where the prevalence of vulgar lexical items in media and literature continues to grow. Using a multi-case study design, the research analyses examples of vulgar lexical items in various literary genres and film subtitles. Through comparative analysis and translation with commentary it identifies shortcomings in existing translations, such as over-reliance on euphemism or neutralisation, which can dilute meaning and emotional impact. The findings highlight the importance of balancing cultural appropriateness with the source text's intended meaning to maintain its functional equivalence. This study contributes to translation studies by offering a robust framework for translating culturally sensitive content in ways that respect both the source and target cultures. It advances practical translation methodologies for subtitling, literary translation and educational materials, supporting the preservation of Sepedi and aligning with South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 and constitutional goals of language equality. The research underscores the translator’s pivotal role in bridging linguistic and cultural divides, providing critical insights into the complexities of translating vulgar lexical items while fostering the growth and standardisation of South Africa’s indigenous languages. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Language, Media and Communication, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2025-04
Translation strategies and procedures Used in the translation of culture-specific lexical Items from English to Sepedi
- Authors: Maboke, Emmanuel
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Translating and interpreting , Pedi (African people)--Social life and customs , Technology--Translating History
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54191 , vital:46317
- Description: This study investigates effective translation strategies and procedures used in the translation of culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi. The premise is that current translations from English to Sepedi are inadequate because they are not culture-specifically grounded. The purpose of this study is to overcome this shortcoming. Culture-specific lexical items such as idioms, proverbs, quotes and other fixed expressions are notorious for their untranslatability and non-equivalence, both of which are cumbersome to the transference of stylistic features and meaning between English and Sepedi as a language pair. The researcher employs a qualitative approach and the interpretivist paradigm, which originates from hermeneutics to investigate the research question. This study adopts a multi-theoretical approach. However, hermeneutics and mainly seven translation procedures proposed by Vinay and Darbelnet (1958/1995: 31-32) are used for analysing and interpreting data. The sample units are drawn using a purposive sampling method. The data collected, reviewed and analysed comprise source and target texts (ST-TT) pairs from various genres. Translation with commentary is also used as a complementary research method to examine the effective application of the investigated translation strategies and procedures to address non-equivalence and pre-empt ambiguity. The results of this study reveal that translation strategies and procedures coincide with the theories from which they originate. Secondly, it was found that the efficacy of translation strategies and procedures employed to translate culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi is influenced by the translator’s lexical choice. Thirdly, this study highlights the importance of linguistic and cultural competence in the translation of culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi. Lastly, this study discovered that the effective application of translation strategies and procedures to translate culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi depends on the translator’s adherence to principles of translation. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Applied Language Studies, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Maboke, Emmanuel
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Translating and interpreting , Pedi (African people)--Social life and customs , Technology--Translating History
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54191 , vital:46317
- Description: This study investigates effective translation strategies and procedures used in the translation of culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi. The premise is that current translations from English to Sepedi are inadequate because they are not culture-specifically grounded. The purpose of this study is to overcome this shortcoming. Culture-specific lexical items such as idioms, proverbs, quotes and other fixed expressions are notorious for their untranslatability and non-equivalence, both of which are cumbersome to the transference of stylistic features and meaning between English and Sepedi as a language pair. The researcher employs a qualitative approach and the interpretivist paradigm, which originates from hermeneutics to investigate the research question. This study adopts a multi-theoretical approach. However, hermeneutics and mainly seven translation procedures proposed by Vinay and Darbelnet (1958/1995: 31-32) are used for analysing and interpreting data. The sample units are drawn using a purposive sampling method. The data collected, reviewed and analysed comprise source and target texts (ST-TT) pairs from various genres. Translation with commentary is also used as a complementary research method to examine the effective application of the investigated translation strategies and procedures to address non-equivalence and pre-empt ambiguity. The results of this study reveal that translation strategies and procedures coincide with the theories from which they originate. Secondly, it was found that the efficacy of translation strategies and procedures employed to translate culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi is influenced by the translator’s lexical choice. Thirdly, this study highlights the importance of linguistic and cultural competence in the translation of culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi. Lastly, this study discovered that the effective application of translation strategies and procedures to translate culture-specific lexical items from English to Sepedi depends on the translator’s adherence to principles of translation. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Applied Language Studies, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
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