This document discusses how words contain "bundles" of meaning components and concepts that a translator must be able to unpack in order to properly translate between languages. Words can have different meanings combined in different ways across languages, so the translator must analyze the central concept and meaning components of each word. Concepts and meaning components are classified semantically as things, events, attributes, and relations. Skewing can occur when the grammatical categories do not match the semantic categories. Restating text in terms of semantic structure can help translators identify meanings and eliminate skewing to facilitate accurate translation.

1. Words as “Bundles” of
Meaning
Chapter 6

2.  A words is a “bundle” of meaning components
 The translator needs to be able to analyse the lexical
items (words) of the source text in order to translate
them.
 This means being able to “unpack” words in order to
show the meaning that is represented by the lexical
form.
 Since languages combine meaning differently, there
will be many words which will not have an exact one-
word equivalent in the receptor language.

3. Concepts
 Used in this text to refer not to the form (word) but only to the
meaning content.
 A recognizable unit of meaning in any given language
 May be broken down into a number of meaning components
 Identified in a given language on the principle of contrast and
comparison within the system of that language.
 Associated with a particular area of meaning which is distinct from
that of other concepts in the language
 Its function is to refer to some specific area of meaning

4. MEANING COMPONENTS AND CONCEPTS ARE CLASSIFIED
SEMANTICALLY AS:
THINGS – Defined as all animate beings and all inanimate
entities
 EVENTS – Include all actions, processes and experiences
 ATTRIBUTES – All attributes of quality and quantity
 RELATIONS – Those relations posited between any two
semantic units

5. Translating concepts
 There will be words which have some of the meaning components
combined in them matching a word which has these components with
some additional ones.
 In order to analyse the meaning of a word in preparation for translation,
one must first think of what the central concept is and in what way this is
limited
Example in Aguaruna:
wilderness- aents atsamaunum
people where-they-are-not-place
( a place where there are no people)

6. Skewing of Classifications
o BLUE SKY – Blue is used as an adjective to describe the sky
o SKY BLUE – Sky is used as an adjective to describe the blue
 In the first, there is no skewing because blue is an ATTRIBUTE used as an
adjective and sky is a THING used as a noun.
 In the second, sky is a THING and used as an adjective to modify blue
which is an ATTRIBUTE used as a noun.
 When there is skewing, there is likely to have to be some kind of
adjustment in translation
 The skewing between the grammar and the semantic categories must be
taken into consideration in finding the underlying meaning.
 Translator must be aware of skewing in the source language

7.  Skewing between semantic classes and parts of speech occurs frequently
 There is skewing between the grammar and the semantic structure
 Skewing by nominalization, verbalization and adjectivization adds dynamics and “life” to
the text
Notice the skewing:
1. Pronoun Verb Noun
our beloved ruler
THING EVENT THING-EVENT
2. Noun Prep Noun
the death of the dancer
EVENT RELATION THING-EVENT
3. Noun Prep Noun
a carpenter from Abidjan
THING-EVENT EVENT-RELATION THING

8. Restatement
 A translator who is having difficulty analysing the source text which he wants
to translate may be benefited by rewriting the material in semantic structure
before beginning to translate it in the receptor language.
 A restatement helps the translator identify the meaning and matches the
grammatical categories with the semantic categories, eliminating most of the
skewing and making it easier to translate into a more verbal language.
 Restating in this way through a restatement draws to the attention of the
translator all of the meanings of the source language
 When a word is restated to indicate its full meaning, it is important to be aware
of which concept in the restatement is the central component