Jargon Buster

Bridge Language

Just as a bridge is used for passing over a physical obstacle (e.g. water), a bridge language is used for passing over a language obstacle. When translating between source and target language pairs, translators and MT(machine translation) systems rely on bridge languages to avoid having to know every single language combination. These are also called pivot languages.

Character set

Every letter, symbol and number on a keyboard corresponds with a unique numeric code that tells a computer which characters to display on screen. These characters are called character sets. Depending on how many characters are in a language determines which character set is used (e.g., ASCII, Latin-1, Unicode). Often abbreviated charset.

Gist translation

A rough translation, either by MT (machine) or HT (human), that allows the reader to understand the essence of the source text. Using Google Translate is a good method for obtaining a quick and easy gist translation.

Globalization

Arguably one of the most overused buzz-words ever, the term globalization is defined as the overall process of adapting and modifying something like a product, service, website or company to move towards a more interconnected, worldwide scale. Often abbreviated G11N (G-11 letters-N).

Human translation

Translations carried out by real living, breathing people. Our worldwide team of experienced Gengo translators do incredible human translations day-in, day-out. Often abbreviated HT.

Internationalization

An early-on planning and preparation process that involves developing a product so it can be adapted for global markets. Language- and region-specific content is collected and cultural assumptions are removed during the process. Good internationalization allows for a much more effective localization process. Often abbreviated I18N (I -18 letters-N). Sometimes used to describe the process of translating a software application.

Language pair

Translating and interpreting between languages involves moving from one language (source) into another (target). These are called language pairs. An English to Spanish (en > es) language pair means that English will be translated into Spanish. Often abbreviated as LP.

Left-to-right

A language is identified as being left-to-right if the text begins on the left-hand side of the page and ends on the right-hand side. Most of the writing systems in the world are written from left-to-right. Often abbreviated as LTR.

Locale

A set of parameters specific to language, geographic location and user preference.

Localization

The translation AND adaptation of content for foreign markets. It involves changing the words (i.e., the translation component), as well as other changes to take into account that the target market is different from the market for which the product was originally developed. Localization is the step that proceeds internationalization. Often abbreviated as L10N (L -10 letters-N).

Localize

The action of the localization process. Assessing color for cultural implications, changing telephone number formats, changing time/date/measurements to reflect that culture’s counting system and changing any icons or graphics that will not make sense in the target culture are all methods used to localize something.

Machine translation

Automated translations carried out by algorithms and computers; Although machine translations are known for their imperfections (i.e., reliability and accuracy), their instant, free and easy to use access makes them a popular translation solution. Often abbreviated MT.

Right-to-left

A language is identified as being right-to-left if the text begins on the right-hand side of the page and ends on the left-hand side. Arabic and Hebrew are right-to-left languages. Often abbreviated RTL.

Source language

The spoken or written language to be translated or interpreted; Language pairs always begin with a source language and end with a target language. Often abbreviated SL.

Source text

The text of the written language to be translated; Written language pairs always begin with a source text and end with a target text. Often abbreviated ST.

Target language

The spoken or written language that has been translated or interpreted from a source language. Often abbreviated TL.

Target text

The text of the written language that has been translated from a target target. Often abbreviated TT.

Translation and Interpretation

Translation is the process of changing a source language into a target language by simply changing the words from one language to another. Unfortunately, it is rarely a word-for-word swap. Interpretation is essentially the same concept, except in oral form. The process involves listening to someone speak and interpreting it into the desired language simultaneously or consecutively . Translators are not necessarily interpreters and vice-versa as very different skill-sets are required for each. Together as as set, these words are oftentimes abbreviated TI.

Translation memory

A collection of previously translated source text segments and accompanying translations stored for future use. Translation memory software allows translators to quickly reproduce words, phrases and blocks of text, such as repetitive or industry specific words when translating new content; A translation memory also helps translators and groups of translators remain consistent and systematic when translating and collaborating on new content. Often abbreviated TM.

Translate-Edit-Proof

A three-step process commonly used to check the quality, consistency and accuracy of a translation. Step one: material is translated by a translator. Step two: material is passed to a second translator for editing and review. Step three: material is either returned to the first translator or passed to a third translator for a final proofread. This process is oftentimes abbreviated TEP.

XML Localization Interchange File Format

An XML-based standard format used for exchanging localization data between participants collaborating on a translation project. The ability to use a single file format allows translators to focus more on translating content and less on incompatibilities between code from multiple versions of software and translation tools. Often abbreviated XLIFF.