Topic 6. Translation on the level of morphemes

6.1. Morpheme as a Unit of Translation

In some cases morpheme becomes the unit of translation. It means that for every morpheme of the word to be translated a curtain morpheme in the word of the target language should be found. For example, the following correlation of morphemes is easy to set for the pair of words: ball – м’яч, balls – м’ячі, where the root of the word ball corresponds the root м’яч-, and the morpheme of plural -s corresponds the morpheme of plural -і. The same accordance can be observed and applied when translating the English word backbencher – задньоскамієчник: back-bench-er – задньо-скамієч-ник.

This type of translation is still more seldom, than the translation on the level of phonemes: morphological structure of semantically equivalent words in different languages usually does not coincide, especially in the domain of grammatical (word-changing and word-forming) morphemes, their set being different in different languages.

The terminological systems make exception, especially medical sciences (MS) and chemistry. In general, any vocabulary, in which the international (of Latin and Greek origin) morphemes are present, is translated with preserving these morphemes. For example morpheme -ома in MS in the words: аденома, саркома, глаукома, фіброміома, карцинома indicates that these are tumours, either malignant or innocent tumours. Medicines like пеніцилін, ампіцилін, цефазолін, стрептоміцин, фурацилін, гентаміцин, олететрин, еритроміцин, etc., belong to antibiotics, and medicines нітрогліцерин, нітронг, нітросорбід, нітромак, тринітролонг, which include nitrogen are vascular dilators and spasmodic.

Though, there is an enormous amount of exceptions and lack of logic: names Julius and Juvenalius are translated as Юлій and Ювеналій, and such names as Матезіус and Авенаріус remained with Latin morphemes.

In the scientific technical literature roots and prefixes are the most informative. A great number of roots and prefixes are of Greek and Latin origin, even if terms are adopted from English, German, French, Russian or other European languages. Clear understanding of original roots and prefixes helps and redounds to present information in a mono-semantic way (without additional meanings) and perceive it adequately:

ambi (lat.), amphi (Gr.) – [on both or all sides] – ambiguity, ambience;

Quasi (Lat.), pseudo (Gr.) – [conventionally “as if”] – quasi-instruction, quasi-language, pseudonym, pseudocode;

para (Gr.) – [near, beside, in parallel] – paragraph, paradox, paradise, parameter;

ortho (Gr.) – [strait] – orthogonal – прямокутний, ортогональний, orthodox – ортодоксальний, православний, orthographic, orthopedist – ортопед;

de, di (Lat.), apo (Gr.) – [deviation, deflection from the direction] – apocryphal – апокрифічний, неканонічний, сумнівний;

dis, des (Lat.), ana (Gr.) – [divergence (розходження „роз“)] – anabranch – протока ріки, що вертається в своє ж русло, anachronism, anaplasty – пластична хірургія, anathema – анафема, відлучення від церкви, прокляття, anatoxin – анатоксин;

co (Lat.), si, sy (Gr.) – [convergence of directions] – syllogism;

demi (Lat.), semi (Gr.) – [half, by halves] – demi-circle, semicircle – півколо.

The number of diminutive suffixes in the English language is not numerous and some of them are unproductive. The following suffixes are looked upon as the diminutives: -erel, -ette, -kin, -ling, -y(-ie):

-erel – is unproductive and is met in a few words: cockerel, pickerel;

-ette – is comparatively rare and mainly in the USA: kitchenette, essayette, leaderette, cigarette, chemisette, wagonnette;

-kin – is unproductive and rare: lambkin, pankin;

-let – the most widespread and productive suffux: wavelet, booklet, flatlet, streamlet, kinglet;

-ling – forms nouns with diminutive and sometimes disdainful meaning: sapling, youngling, starveling, princeling, nurseling, foundling, nestling, suckling (especially in the word combination “babes and sucklings”, kingling;

-y(-ie) – forms the nouns with deminutive and hypocoristic/endearment meanings: grannie, girlie, lassie, dearie, swettie, shorty, mummy, hubby, mousie, nanny, daddie, laddie, birdie, piggy, doggy (doggie), sonny, auntie, fatty, mannie. This suffix may be added to the proper names: Annie, Betty, Billy, Davy, Fanny, Jacky, Jenny, Jimmy, Johnny, Tommy, Willie, etc.

Some adjectives adopt the diminutive suffix -ish, mainly the ones denoting colors: whitish, yellowish, reddish, grayish, etc., though there are other adjectives denoting the lower degree of some quality, which adopt the same suffix: biggish, largish, baldish, prettyish, oldish, fattish, coldish, etc. The adjectives with a negative meaning may have the same suffix as well: thievish, rudish.