If UNDIRA friends are fluent in several languages, you will surely realize the ease of expanding your network, especially in the era of globalization and the Internet of Things (IoT) through social media.  However, when using a foreign language, we realize that there are some non-local words that can be quite strange or require detailed explanations to provide context when translating. 

As we know, language development is highly sensitive to social, cultural, and temporal aspects. With new experiences, there is a high possibility that new words will be born. This is what is called Linguistic Relativity.  According to linguist Edward Sapir in 1929, Linguistic Relativity is a marker of the cultural patterns of its speakers. He further emphasized that language users do not solely refer to objectivity when creating new vocabulary, but are influenced by their lifestyle and surrounding ecosystem.  

Translation processes problems often arise due to cultural differences and ambiguity of meaning. For example, the Japanese phrase “Itadakimasu,” which is often used before enjoying a meal, is simplified to “selamat makan” (enjoy your meal). In Japanese culture, this phrase is actually an expression of gratitude to the person who prepared the food. 

Another example is the use of slang such as “This car is slapping.” In this context, ‘slapping’ does not mean that the car is “slapping,” but rather an adjective that praises the car for its good appearance or specifications. There is also a third example, which is the popular phrase “slay,” which has several alternative meanings when translated. This phrase can have a violent connotation, or it can express admiration in slang, such as, “You look great today! Slay!”

In addition to the difficulty of arranging meanings, there is also another difficulty in the form of mapping tenses, which are generally used as time indicators in the placement of verbs. In English, tenses indicate the past (past tense), present (present tense), and future (future tense), of course with 13 other variations. 

However, in some languages, tenses are not the main focus in sentence formation. Indonesian is a perfect example of a tenseless language, where we tend to use auxiliary words to explain when an activity is carried out. For example, I ate yesterday, I will eat rice tomorrow morning—the word eat remains unchanged. 

Although every language has its own uniqueness, language is not a barrier to communication. Provided that we understand the context and the socio-cultural aspects of the surrounding community, we can understand the meaning a little, even if it is slightly beyond our perception.

Source of References: 

Terjemahan yang mustahil: Mengapa beberapa kata sulit dialihbahasakan - TheConversationID

(Kornelia Johana Dacosta / Humas UNDIRA)

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