House Taken Over: Displacing the Machines
In this post, “House Taken Over” is not in reference to the famous story by the renowned writer and translator Julio Cortázar. Rather, it refers
September 10, 2014
What Is a Controlled Natural Language?
Translators frequently have to confront issues that are often the result of problems existing in the source text we are translating. Some of the most
August 20, 2014
Modifiers, Interrupted
As linguists, our work often times requires translating complex texts that include sentences and structures of all lengths and types. Given that sentence structures are
August 14, 2014
Dzongkha Is Not Just a Perfume
Dzongkha, besides being a woody fragrance that transports you to Buddhist monasteries, is also the official language of Bhutan. It means language (kh) within dzong.
July 17, 2014
Is Spanish a Sexist Language?
This is a long-debated discussion, especially among some feminist groups engaged in the very important fight for women’s rights in a variety of fields. However,
July 9, 2014
Tetum: Not Malay or Indonesian
Tetum is a language of the Austronesian family and, along with Portuguese, is spoken in East Timor. And, while it is strongly influenced by Malay
July 3, 2014
Who Were the First Code Talkers?
In 1918, during World War I, a group of American troops participated in the Meuse-Argonne offensive on the Western Front. It was one of the
June 25, 2014
Translations and DTP from Right to Left
We have to pay special attention when translating languages that are written from right to left, as what is a “no-brainer” for native speakers may
June 18, 2014
Errors? Blame Titivillus!
During the Middle Ages, a period during which the vast majority of the population was illiterate, the skills of reading and writing were under the
June 11, 2014
Can You Learn a New Language Quickly?
Learning a foreign language can be a very difficult and stressful task, but can also provide us with many benefits. If someone has very little
June 4, 2014
Where Do We Obtain Reference Materials for Translations?
Translators must sometimes undertake very specific translations focused on a very technical subject that is of critical importance to a client. In these cases, we must
May 21, 2014
The Mystery of the Untranslatable Book
In Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library is a book that no one has ever been able to read. It is written in a non-existent
May 14, 2014
