The translation of non-lexicalised terms in Swahili health care texts

Abstract

The constraints of non-lexicalised terms remain an obstacle with which many translators grapple in the translation process. The impediment is serious when translation not only involves highly specialised terms but also an African language. Theoretically anchored in descriptive translation studies, this article explores the translation of non-lexicalised terms in Swahili health care texts. It emerges that the problem-solving strategies used by translators are the use of pure loan words, the use of pure loan words preceded by an explanation, the use of indigenised loan words, the use of indigenised loan words preceded by an explanation, translation by omission, and the use of a more general word or superordinate. Furthermore, the study looks at the use of indigenised loan words preceded by an explanation strategy, which has not been delved into before. This study concludes that Swahili lags behind in the lexicalisation of health care-related terms, and translators sometimes resort to the Swahilinisation of terms to make them identifiable to the target audience.