Language funtions in translation

1. Language Functions
TEXT-CATEGORIES AND TEXT-TYPES

2. Text types according to functions of language
1) Expressive
2) Informative
3) Vocative
4) Aesthetic
5) Phatic
6) Metalingual

3. Expressive Function
The main core of this expression is the mind of the
speaker, the writer, the originator of the utterance.
• Utterance is to express the feeling irrespective of
any response.

4. According to Peter Newmark:
• The main feature of the Expressive Funtion of
language is the mind of the writer.

5. The characteristic of expressive
text-types

6. Serious
imaginative
literature
• Lyrical
poetry
• Short stories
• Novels
• Plays

7. Authoritative
statements
• Political
speeches
• Documents
• Legal
documents
• Academic

8. Autobiography,
essays, and
personal
correspondence
• Which are
considered
expressive
when they
contain
personal
feelings

9. Informative function
The core of this informative function of language is
external situation, the facts of a topic, reality outside
language, including reported ideas or theories.
The purpose of this informative function is concerned
with the topic of knowledge and literary subject.

10. The format of an
informative text is
often standard: a
textbook, a
technical report,
an article in a
newspaper or a
periodical, a
scientific paper, a
thesis and agenda
of a meeting.

11. However, note two points:
• First: 'informative' texts constitute the vast majority of the
staff translator's work in international organisations, multi-nationals,
private companies and translation agencies.
• Secondly, a high proportion of such texts are poorly written
and sometimes inaccurate, and it is usually the translator's
job to 'correct' their facts and their style.

12. The vocative function
• The core of the vocative function of language is the
readership, the addressee.
• The vocative is the case used for addressing your reader in
some inflected language.

13. Inflected language
• A language that changes the form or ending of some words
when the way in which they are used in sentences changes.

14. Inflection in English include:
the genitive 's.
the plural -s .
the third-person singular -s .
the past tense -d, - ed, or –t.
the negative particle 'nt.
ing forms of verbs
the comparative -er and the superlative -est

15. This function of languages has been given
many other names
• Conative( denoted effort.)
• Instrumental
• Operative
• Pragmatic

16. For the purposes of translation
• Notices
• Instruction
• Publicity
• Propaganda
• Persuasive writing(requests ,case, theses)
• Popular fiction whose purpose is to sell the book/entertain the
reader as typical vocative.

17. Factors of vocative function
• The first factor in all vocative text is the relationship between
the writer and the readership.
• The second factor is that these text must be written in a
language that is immediately comprehensible to the
readership.

18. The aesthetic function
• The aesthetic function (called by Lakobson the poetic)
• This is a language designed to please the senses, firstly through its
actual or imagined sound, and secondly through its metaphors.
•In many case it is no possible to translate sound effect unless one
transfers the relevant language units: compensation of the kind is
usually possible but not hard to translate, unless the word is simply
missing in the other language( lexical gap.)

19. Lexical gap
• Lexical gap or lacuna is when there is no word in
another language to describe a concept.

20. The sound effect consist of :
• Onomatopoeia
• Alliteration
• Assonance
• Rhyme
• Metre
• Intonation
• Stress

21. Onomatopoeia
A word that
imitates the
sound it
represent

22. Alliteration
Alliteration is the
repetition of the
same or similar
sounds at the
beginning of words.

23. Rhyme
Rhyme is a
repetition of similar
sounding words
occurring at the end
of lines in poems or
songs.

24. Meter
In poetry, metre
(meter in American
spelling) is the basic
rhythmic structure
of a verse or lines in
verse.

25. Intonation
Intonation describes
how the voice rises
and falls in speech.
The three main
patterns of
intonation

26. Stress
when one syllable is
pronounced with
more strength than
the rest (we call it
"the stressed
syllable") and the
rest of the syllables
are weaker, but they
are all pronounced
clearly