Languages

Open AccessArticle

Conceptual Number in Bilingual Agreement Computation: Evidence from German Pseudo-Partitives

by

Jana Reifegerste

,

Ayse Garibagaoglu

and

Claudia Felser

Languages 2023, 8(2), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020147 - 05 Jun 2023

Abstract

During subject–verb agreement (SVA) computation, the conceptual or notional number of the subject can affect whether speakers choose a singular or a plural verb, potentially overriding the grammatical number of the subject’s head. The influence of notional number has hardly been investigated in [...] Read more.

During subject–verb agreement (SVA) computation, the conceptual or notional number of the subject can affect whether speakers choose a singular or a plural verb, potentially overriding the grammatical number of the subject’s head. The influence of notional number has hardly been investigated in bilinguals, however. Most previous research on bilingual agreement computation has focused on agreement errors, and less is known about agreement computation in cases where multiple licit options exist. One such phenomenon is pseudo-partitives (German: eine Tüte Nüsse ‘one bag of nuts’), for which a verb may agree with either the first or the second noun phrase. We present data from 150 L1 speakers of German and Turkish–German early bilinguals who performed a sentence-completion task. While both groups showed awareness of the optionality in agreement, both preferred the first noun phrase as the agreement controller. Interestingly, notional plurality affected bilinguals’ verb choices more than those of L1 speakers, whose responses were influenced by notional plurality only in the most challenging number conflict condition. We suggest that increased cognitive demands during bilingual SVA computation may render bilinguals more susceptible to conceptual effects. Full article

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Open AccessArticle

Contact-Induced Layering and Diffusion in Yuè Chinese Varieties—The *-iun/iut and *-un/ut Merger Reconsidered

by

Man-Shan Hui

and

Richard VanNess Simmons

Languages 2023, 8(2), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020146 - 05 Jun 2023

Abstract

This study re-investigates the merger of *-iun/iut and *-un/ut in 46 Yuè Chinese varieties, which lacks explanatory treatment, from the variant derivative patterns of *-iun/iut > [yn]/[yt] and *-un/ut > [yn]/[yt]. The historical-comparative method was employed as the frame to analyze spatial (geographic) [...] Read more.

This study re-investigates the merger of *-iun/iut and *-un/ut in 46 Yuè Chinese varieties, which lacks explanatory treatment, from the variant derivative patterns of *-iun/iut > [yn]/[yt] and *-un/ut > [yn]/[yt]. The historical-comparative method was employed as the frame to analyze spatial (geographic) variation obtained from QGIS. The data showed that the merger of the reflexes of *-iun/iut and *-un/ut does not prevail in the majority of Yuè varieties, while mergers of *-iun/iut with *-in/it and *-iun/iut with *-on/ot or *-ion/iot are dominant. The spatial patterns of *-iun/iut and *-un/ut suggest different diffusion patterns and background factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Typology of Chinese Languages: One Name, Many Languages)

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Open AccessEditorial

New Glances at the Morphosyntax of Greek

by

Melita Stavrou

and

Athina Sioupi

Languages 2023, 8(2), 145; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020145 - 30 May 2023

Abstract

The Greek language has a documented history of nearly 3500 years [...] Full article

Open AccessCorrection

Correction: Prilutskaya (2021). Examining Pedagogical Translanguaging: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Languages 6: 180

by

Marina Prilutskaya

Languages 2023, 8(2), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020144 - 30 May 2023

Abstract

In the original publication (Prilutskaya 2021), there was a mistake in Figure 5 [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Practices in English Classrooms – from Primary School to Higher Education)

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Open AccessArticle

Multilingualism and Multiculturalism in Family Guy: Challenges in Dubbing and Subtitling L3 Varieties of Spanish

by

Mariazell Eugènia Bosch Fábregas

Languages 2023, 8(2), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020143 - 30 May 2023

Abstract

Multilingualism and multiculturalism are verbally and visually recurrent in the sitcom Family Guy (1999-in production) through a combination of a main language of communication (L1) and other languages (L3) in the source language (SL) or source text (ST). The use of L3 is [...] Read more.

Multilingualism and multiculturalism are verbally and visually recurrent in the sitcom Family Guy (1999-in production) through a combination of a main language of communication (L1) and other languages (L3) in the source language (SL) or source text (ST). The use of L3 is tantamount to tokenism and stereotyping characters, especially those whose recurrence is incidental and part of jokes. This paper compares two versions of the episode “Road to Rhode Island” (American and Spanish DVDs) and addresses a scene to analyze the linguistic challenges and lexical choices in dubbing and subtitling L1 and L3 in two geographical varieties of Spanish: Latin American Spanish and Peninsular Spanish. In this regard, this study focuses on the role and function of L3 in translation, the techniques to represent L3 in translation, L1 and L3 translation techniques, and which techniques are used in translation. Overall, this paper explores how the Spanish DVD adds a new L3 in the target text (TT) to maintain its original function in subtitling and dubbing, and the differences in the American DVD: L3^TT omission in subtitling and L3^TT change of function and meaning in dubbing, which ultimately accentuates linguistic and cultural misrepresentation and stereotypes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends, Challenges and Discoveries in the Translation of Multilingualism in Fiction)

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Open AccessArticle

Tense as a Grammatical Category in Sinitic: A Critical Overview

by

Giorgio Francesco Arcodia

Languages 2023, 8(2), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020142 - 30 May 2023

Abstract

Sinitic languages are very often described as tenseless, since they are generally seen as lacking ‘true’ grammatical markers of tense: thus, the interpretation of time reference relies on other factors, such as aspect, modal verbs, and the use of time expressions. However, the [...] Read more.

Sinitic languages are very often described as tenseless, since they are generally seen as lacking ‘true’ grammatical markers of tense: thus, the interpretation of time reference relies on other factors, such as aspect, modal verbs, and the use of time expressions. However, the debate concerning the tenseless nature of Chinese has not been settled yet: several types of items in Sinitic have been analyzed as expressing both aspect and tense, tense and modality, or even tense only. In this paper, we offer a critical analysis of the proposals made in the description of Standard Mandarin Chinese and (so-called) Chinese dialects concerning grammatical exponents of tense. We shall show that there appears to be a very broad degree of variation within Sinitic in the type and nature of tense(-like) meanings expressed, with different degrees of overlap between tense and other TAM categories (i.e., aspect and modality), and different degrees of grammaticalisation of alleged tense markers. Furthermore, the most grammaticalised tense markers are located in subregions within northern China: we shall thus discuss the relevance of our data for the areal typology of Sinitic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Typology of Chinese Languages: One Name, Many Languages)

Open AccessArticle

Dynamic Bilingualism to Dynamic Writing: Using Translanguaging Strategies and Tools

by

Onudeah D. Nicolarakis

and

Thomas Mitchell

Languages 2023, 8(2), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020141 - 30 May 2023

Abstract

This study is a qualitative analysis of a naturally occurring translanguaging phenomenon in the writing practices of fifteen high-scoring deaf bilingual adult writers. This study aims to identify translanguaging factors related to writing achievement and explore themes that emerge within an asset-based/antideficit, deaf [...] Read more.

This study is a qualitative analysis of a naturally occurring translanguaging phenomenon in the writing practices of fifteen high-scoring deaf bilingual adult writers. This study aims to identify translanguaging factors related to writing achievement and explore themes that emerge within an asset-based/antideficit, deaf bilingualism/Deaf Gain theoretical framework. Data were gathered by collecting, reviewing, coding, and identifying overarching themes in the interview transcripts. The findings show that high-scoring deaf participants utilized translanguaging writing strategies and tools such as translingual interdependence, language flexibility, semiotics and multimodalities, American Sign Language (ASL) drafting, and visual tracking skills that led to their writing achievement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Translanguaging in Deaf Communities)

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Open AccessArticle

Multilingualism as a Mirror of Strangeness in the Translation of Contemporary Literary Texts

by

Cristina Valdés

Languages 2023, 8(2), 140; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020140 - 30 May 2023

Abstract

This paper focuses on the issue of multilingualism in contemporary literary texts, which contain examples of code-switching or words and expressions in different languages, which contribute to placing emphasis on the foreignness and strangeness of the characters or narrators of the stories. This [...] Read more.

This paper focuses on the issue of multilingualism in contemporary literary texts, which contain examples of code-switching or words and expressions in different languages, which contribute to placing emphasis on the foreignness and strangeness of the characters or narrators of the stories. This study stems from the edition of a compilation of short narrative and dramatic texts translated into Spanish by authors who build up stories from a position of in-betweenness, rejection, or displacement. In this context, the presence of different languages contributes to revealing the multilingual and multicultural reality that provides the background for the different stories. They are all concerned about manifesting their vital experiences of (un)belonging to a certain labelled culture or identifiable group, often from a diasporic point of view. Some real examples of translation processes will be provided to show the strategies employed to preserve an effect of strangeness on readers, to reveal feelings of (un)belonging, to manifest a variety of identities, or to make explicit culturally marked terms. Translation is then approached from the perspectives of cosmopolitism, diversity, and postcolonial studies, which rely on multilingualism as a signal of a diversified and multicultural identity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends, Challenges and Discoveries in the Translation of Multilingualism in Fiction)

Open AccessArticle

Agreement Asymmetries with Adjectives in Heritage Greek

by

Artemis Alexiadou

,

Vasiliki Rizou

and

Foteini Karkaletsou

Languages 2023, 8(2), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020139 - 30 May 2023

Abstract

Research on different populations of heritage speakers (HSs) has demonstrated that these speakers (i) frequently produce fewer adjectives, and (ii) produce more errors in nominal concord than in subject–verb agreement. The first point, (i), has been attributed in the literature to the optionality [...] Read more.

Research on different populations of heritage speakers (HSs) has demonstrated that these speakers (i) frequently produce fewer adjectives, and (ii) produce more errors in nominal concord than in subject–verb agreement. The first point, (i), has been attributed in the literature to the optionality of adjectives and to the fact that adjectives characterize the literary language and HSs lack familiarity with this register. The second point, (ii), is viewed by other researchers as supporting theories that treat nominal concord as being different from subject–verb agreement. In this paper, we contribute data on production of adjectives and agreement asymmetries with adjectives from heritage Greek. We show that these cannot be viewed as supporting claims with respect to (i) but conclude that nominal concord and subject–verb agreement involve different mechanisms. We furthermore explore ways to account for a slight contrast we observe between prenominal and postnominal agreement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Syntactic Variation and Change of Heritage Languages)

Open AccessArticle

Elementary School First Graders’ Acquisition of Productive L2 French Grammar in Regular and CLIL Programs

by

Patricia Uhl

,

Anja K. Steinlen

and

Thorsten Piske

Languages 2023, 8(2), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020138 - 29 May 2023

Abstract

This study presents productive L2 French grammar data obtained at the end of grade 1 from 186 elementary school children learning French in bilingual (CLIL) or in regular school programs in Germany. The children completed a picture description task to assess their productive [...] Read more.

This study presents productive L2 French grammar data obtained at the end of grade 1 from 186 elementary school children learning French in bilingual (CLIL) or in regular school programs in Germany. The children completed a picture description task to assess their productive oral L2 French grammar skills and two standardized cognitive tests on nonverbal intelligence and sustained attention. The results did not indicate any significant effects of the cognitive tests or of child-internal variables (in this case gender, language background and educational background). However, children in the regular French program unexpectedly outperformed their peers in the bilingual French program. Classroom observations and information provided by teachers suggest that this finding may, at least in part, be due to the fact that in grade 1 there were only minor differences between the two programs in terms of L2 exposure time and teaching methodology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children’s Acquisition of Morpho-Syntax: The Interplay of Input, Complexity and Learner Cognitive Skills)

Open AccessArticle

The Forms and Functions of Switch Reference in A’ingae

by

Scott AnderBois

,

Daniel Altshuler

and

Wilson D. L. Silva

Languages 2023, 8(2), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020137 - 26 May 2023

Abstract

This paper examines switch reference (SR) in A’ingae, an understudied isolate language from Amazonian Ecuador. We present a theoretically informed survey of SR, identifying three distinct uses of switch reference: in clause chaining, adverbial clauses, and so-called ‘bridging’ clause linkage. We describe the [...] Read more.

This paper examines switch reference (SR) in A’ingae, an understudied isolate language from Amazonian Ecuador. We present a theoretically informed survey of SR, identifying three distinct uses of switch reference: in clause chaining, adverbial clauses, and so-called ‘bridging’ clause linkage. We describe the syntactic and semantic properties of each use in detail, the first such description for A’ingae, showing that the three constructions differ in important ways. While leaving a full syntactic analysis to future work, we argue that these disparate properties preclude a syntactic account that unifies these three constructions to the exclusion of other environments without SR. Conversely, while a full semantic account is also left to future work, we suggest that a unified semantic account in terms of discourse coherence principles appears more promising. In particular, we propose that switch reference in A’ingae occurs in all and only the constructions that are semantically restricted to non-structuring coordinating coherence relations in the sense of Segmented Discourse Representation Theory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Studies on Morpho-Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics: A View from the South American Lowlands and Beyond)

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Open AccessArticle

Standardization of the Gender Assignment and Agreement Assessment in the Greek Language: Preliminary Evidence from Bilingual Greek—Albanian School Age Children

by

,

,

and

Languages 2023, 8(2), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020136 - 26 May 2023

Abstract

(1) Background: Given the scarcity of data on the psychometric evaluation of measures used with typically developing Greek-speaking bilinguals, this study aims to present preliminary evidence for the standardization and the psychometric evaluation of a gender assignment and agreement assessment designed for the [...] Read more.

(1) Background: Given the scarcity of data on the psychometric evaluation of measures used with typically developing Greek-speaking bilinguals, this study aims to present preliminary evidence for the standardization and the psychometric evaluation of a gender assignment and agreement assessment designed for the Greek language (henceforth, GAAGL Assessment) employing real and pseudo-words. This is the first study to standardize the GAAGL Assessment and to explore its discriminatory ability with typical populations. (2) Methods: The assessment was designed as part of the BALED project which targeted language skills in bilingual children for whom one language is Greek. For the psychometric evaluation and the exploration of the test’s discriminatory ability we ran a Cronbach’s alpha analysis and a Youden Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis across the domains and sub scores of the test. Our sample consisted of 53 typically developing Greek monolingual children and 57 age-matched Greek–Albanian-speaking bilinguals. (3) Results: The results showed: (a) a high internal consistency for the GAAGL Assessment across its four main tasks and (b) excellent discriminatory ability, since statistically significant positive discrimination was detected between monolingual and bilingual children in the tasks and scores of the GAAGL Assessment. Full article

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Open AccessReview

The Nature, Role, and Effects of Structured Input Activities

by

Alessandro Benati

Languages 2023, 8(2), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020135 - 26 May 2023

Abstract

This paper is the introductory paper of the Special Issue titled: “New Research on the Role and Effects of Structured Input in Assessing the Nature of Language Processing”. It provides a clear analysis of the nature and role of structured input activities in [...] Read more.

This paper is the introductory paper of the Special Issue titled: “New Research on the Role and Effects of Structured Input in Assessing the Nature of Language Processing”. It provides a clear analysis of the nature and role of structured input activities in second language research and language pedagogy. It presents the main findings of genuine empirical research investigating the effectiveness of structured input on different forms and structures across different languages and among different populations. The paper provides suggestions for future research within this framework. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Research on the Role and Effects of Structured Input in Assessing the Nature of Language Processing)

Open AccessArticle

The Expression of Time in Amahuaca Switch-Reference Clauses

by

Emily Clem

Languages 2023, 8(2), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020134 - 26 May 2023

Abstract

Many languages of lowland South America mark remoteness distinctions in their TAM systems. In Amahuaca (Panoan; Peru) multiple remoteness distinctions are made in the past and the future. I argue that the temporal remoteness morphemes (TRMs) of Amahuaca can be understood as indications [...] Read more.

Many languages of lowland South America mark remoteness distinctions in their TAM systems. In Amahuaca (Panoan; Peru) multiple remoteness distinctions are made in the past and the future. I argue that the temporal remoteness morphemes (TRMs) of Amahuaca can be understood as indications of the remoteness of the event time relative to the utterance time in matrix environments. In dependent clauses, however, the picture is more complicated. By exploring adjunct switch-reference clauses, I show that TRMs in dependent clauses display a previously unreported ambiguity reminiscent of ambiguities found with adjunct tense. Specifically, they can relate the time of the adjunct clause event to the time of the matrix event or to the utterance time. I suggest that this ambiguity may arise from the availability of multiple interpretation sites for adjunct TRMs, with the possible interpretations being constrained by the temporal semantics of switch-reference markers themselves. This work thus contributes to the empirical understanding of how TRMs are interpreted in dependent clauses, suggesting interesting potential parallels to the interpretation of adjunct tense. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Studies on Morpho-Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics: A View from the South American Lowlands and Beyond)

Open AccessArticle

A Phonological Study of Rongpa Choyul

by

Jingyao Zheng

Languages 2023, 8(2), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020133 - 26 May 2023

Abstract

This paper presents a detailed description of the phonology of the Rongpa variety of Choyul, an understudied Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Lithang (理塘) County, Dkarmdzes (甘孜) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, China. Based on firsthand fieldwork data, this paper lays out Rongpa [...] Read more.

This paper presents a detailed description of the phonology of the Rongpa variety of Choyul, an understudied Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Lithang (理塘) County, Dkarmdzes (甘孜) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, China. Based on firsthand fieldwork data, this paper lays out Rongpa phonology with details, examining its syllable canon, initial and rhyme systems, and word prosody. Peculiar characteristics of this phonological system are as follows: First, Rongpa has a substantial phonemic inventory, which comprises 43 consonants, 13 vowels, and 2 tones. 84 consonant clusters are observed to serve as the initial of a syllable. Secondly, the phonemic contrast between plain and uvularized vowels is attested. In addition, regressive vowel harmony on uvularization, height, and lip-roundedness can be clearly observed in various constructions including prefixed verb stems. Finally, regarding word prosody, two tones in monosyllabic words, /H/ and /L/, are observed to distinguish lexical meanings, and disyllabic words exhibit four surface pitch patterns. Pitch patterns in verb morphology are also examined. The findings and analyses as presented in this paper could form a foundation for future research on Rongpa Choyul. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Directions for Sino-Tibetan Linguistics in the Mid-21st Century)

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Open AccessArticle

A Diachronic Investigation on the Lexical Formation and Evolution of the Chinese Adverb “Yijing (已经)”

by

Jiangtao Shen

and

Yu Liu

Languages 2023, 8(2), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020132 - 23 May 2023

Abstract

This paper describes the lexicalization processes of the expositive adverb yijing in Chinese, taking the view that the lexicalization of yijing has been achieved by both syntactic and semantic–pragmatic contexts. There are two key processes: the grammaticalization of jing is the key factor [...] Read more.

This paper describes the lexicalization processes of the expositive adverb yijing in Chinese, taking the view that the lexicalization of yijing has been achieved by both syntactic and semantic–pragmatic contexts. There are two key processes: the grammaticalization of jing is the key factor for reanalysis of the structure yijing. Originally, jing could only be combined with NP. In the structure “yi + jing + NP experiences”, jing acquired the context in which it was possible to combine with VP. When the VP was an active situation, jing was grammaticalized into a manner adverb, while when VP was a semelfactive situation, jing, the same with yi, became a state adverb for the past tense and perfect aspect. The lexicalization of yijing contains two processes, namely reanalysis and cohesion. In the structure “yi_{[relative time]} + jing +VP”, when there were complex elements, it was reanalyzed as “[yi + jing] + VP”, where yijing functioned as a coordinate structure. If the structure “[yi + jing] + VP” was in a sufficient conditional clause and the VP was an accomplishment situation, “yi + jing” in this context acquired the pragmatic function to confirm that an event has happened, but it was still expressing the tense–aspect meanings of the sentence. In the 7th century, when VP was an achievement situation and had a perfective verb in it, yijing no longer bore the tense–aspect function and was specialized into a confirmative expositive adverb for pragmatic function, and the lexicalization processes finished. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Directions for Sino-Tibetan Linguistics in the Mid-21st Century)

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Open AccessArticle

The Constraints of Monolingual Language Policy and Heteroglossic Practices as a Vehicle for Linguistic Justice

by

Beatha Set

Languages 2023, 8(2), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020131 - 22 May 2023

Abstract

This paper draws on conceptualisations of language as heteroglossic practices to examine how the experienced bilingual science teacher navigates between the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP) within a linguistically constrained Namibian bilingual context. This [...] Read more.

This paper draws on conceptualisations of language as heteroglossic practices to examine how the experienced bilingual science teacher navigates between the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP) within a linguistically constrained Namibian bilingual context. This paper aims to support recent research that challenges monolingual and monoglossic language practices, which tend to ignore the linguistic resources that children bring to the classroom. Data were collected from a classroom including video and audio recordings of lessons, field notes and photographs. The data were analysed through socio-cultural discourse and fine-grained multimodal analytical methods. The data findings illustrate the moment where the science teacher was constrained by English monolingual policy to mediate learners’ access to science learning, and harnessed all linguistic resources that the learners bring to the classroom. Subsidiary to that, there were moments where the teacher worked flexibly across languages, discourses and modes to interrupt the monoglossic ideology that is embodied in the official Namibian Language in Education Policy (LiEP). The use of rich heteroglossic practices is a clear testimony to enhanced science meaning-making regardless of learners’ ‘limited proficiency in English. The findings highlight the need to support learners from linguistically diverse backgrounds through a deliberate inclusive language policy that harnesses the heteroglossic nature of communicative practices and prepares teachers for a multilingual reality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language Policy and Practice in Multilingual Families)

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Open AccessArticle

Reduplication in Kua’nsi

by

Huade Huang

Languages 2023, 8(2), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020130 - 19 May 2023

Abstract

This paper investigates reduplication in Kua’nsi, a Central Ngwi language of the Sino-Tibetan family, spoken in Yunnan Province, China, by around 5000 speakers. Reduplication is a productive morphological device in Kua’nsi and has complex forms and functions. Although Kua’nsi reduplication shows some similarities [...] Read more.

This paper investigates reduplication in Kua’nsi, a Central Ngwi language of the Sino-Tibetan family, spoken in Yunnan Province, China, by around 5000 speakers. Reduplication is a productive morphological device in Kua’nsi and has complex forms and functions. Although Kua’nsi reduplication shows some similarities with reduplication in other Ngwi languages, it also has reduplicative forms and functions that appear to be cross-linguistically rare. Formally, reduplication in Kua’nsi can be full, partial, or discontinuous. Functionally, it can be used with inflectional and derivational meanings as well as without any semantic or syntactic effect in certain constructions. Some functions of Kua’nsi reduplication appear to be not frequently found across languages. The forms and functions of Kua’nsi reduplication are complex and there is not a one-to-one relationship between the form and function of particular patterns of reduplication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Directions for Sino-Tibetan Linguistics in the Mid-21st Century)

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Open AccessArticle

Translating Multilingualism in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding

by

Montse Corrius

,

Eva Espasa

and

Laura Santamaria

Languages 2023, 8(2), 129; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages8020129 - 17 May 2023

Abstract

Linguistic diversity is present in many audiovisual productions and has given rise to fruitful research on translation of multilingualism and language variation. Monsoon Wedding (Mira Nair, 2001) is a prototypical film for translation analysis, since multilingualism is a recurrent feature, as the film [...] Read more.

Linguistic diversity is present in many audiovisual productions and has given rise to fruitful research on translation of multilingualism and language variation. Monsoon Wedding (Mira Nair, 2001) is a prototypical film for translation analysis, since multilingualism is a recurrent feature, as the film dialogue combines English (L1) with Hindi and Punjabi (L3), which creates an effect of code-switching. This article analyses how the multilingualism and the cultural elements present in the source text (ST) have been transferred to the Spanish translated text (TT) La boda del monzón. The results show that in the Spanish dubbed and subtitled versions, few Indian cultural elements are left, and little language variation is preserved. Thus, L3 does not play a central role as it does in the source text. In the translation, only a few loan words from Hindi or Punjabi are kept, mainly from the domains of food and cooking, as well as terms of address and greetings, or words related to the wedding ceremony. The results also show that when L3 is not fully rendered in translation, otherness is still conveyed through image and music, thus (re)creating a different atmosphere for Spanish audiences. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends, Challenges and Discoveries in the Translation of Multilingualism in Fiction)

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