6.4 Conclusion

In this lesson we’ve learned some new terms to help us analyze equivalence between words and phrases in the source and target languages. In translation, synonymy applies to words or phrases in two different languages that match completely in their meaning and ranges of use. Hypermyny refers to words or phrases that have a wider range or are more general than the closest equivalent in the other language, while hyponymy is the term used for words or phrases that have a narrower range or are more specific than the closest equivalent in the other language. We can overcome non-equivalence between languages by using hypernyms and hyponyms in our translations, which is justified whenever there is no complete synonym.

In addition, we’ve analyzed true cognates, partial false cognates, and false cognates and recognized the danger in distorting the message of the source text by incorrectly translating false cognates (or partial false cognates) literally. We can increase our translator’s toolbox by learning as many false cognates between English and Spanish as possible.