Conceptual Equivalence in Multilingual EU Terminology – Challenges and Possible Solutions

Abstract

This article examines the implications of concept orientation for translation-oriented multilingual terminology work in the European Union context. Terms and concepts in EU texts can be divided into three groups based on their universality or specificity to a particular conceptual system: universal, EU-specific, and country-specific. These terms often appear together in EU texts, and translators must be aware of their nature to find the best equivalent in the target language. The paper outlines strategies for translators dealing with different types of terms. It also discusses the challenges of translating universal terms with country-specific dimensions. It highlights how a lack of equivalence information and confusion between universal and country-specific terms can compromise terminology entries. Due to the diversity of legal systems in the 27 Member States, the lack of an equivalent term in the target language requires translators to choose between inexact or partial equivalents. It is therefore crucial to indicate in a terminological database the absence of conceptually equivalent terms in the target language. To assist translators, IATE, the EU’s concept-oriented terminology database, provides information on the origin of terms and the degree of equivalence between concepts expressed by specific terms in different languages. However, this information is not always systematic. It can often only be obtained after thoroughly examining several data fields. It is argued that systematically indicating the EU-, or country-specific origin of the concept represented by the database entry, together with the introduction of a new optional transfer comment field to clarify the degree of equivalence between terms, as seen in other multilingual termbases, would greatly benefit translators by providing a clearer understanding of equivalence relationships and helping them to make informed choices when selecting target language terms.