By Morag Young May 8, 2023
Word of the week!
Every week, I discuss a particularly difficult word to translate - those words that are always a challenge, even for seasoned translators.
This week, I have chosen: réaliser
Whether it appears in verb form or as a noun (réalisation), this one always requires some extra thought. It sometimes seems as if a different translation is required every few paragraphs. Just when I think I’ve got to grips with it in one context, the author uses it in a completely different one!
It’s also one of those words that I find repeatedly in documents I am editing. All the Latin-based European languages love this one but many non-English speakers do not realise (ha ha) that it is used much less frequently and very differently in English.
You know a word is particularly troublesome when it crops up hundreds of forum discussions. What I love about these forums though is the discovery, even after over a decade in translation, that a word has yet another meaning in English. Have I simply never come across it in that context or is this just the latest example of the evolution of language that keeps all us linguists on our toes?
One thing is for sure: réaliser has the potential to keep me awake for a few more nights yet!