BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence M.C. Schröder METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260603T134500 DTEND:20260603T151500 DTSTAMP:20260603T134500 UID:phd-defence-m-c-schroder@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260923T085712 LOCATION: SUMMARY:PhD defence M.C. Schröder X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Translating unknown concepts into Toposa: a lexical-pragmatic approach

Bible translators in South Sudan develop creative solutions for unfa miliar concepts

How do you translate words and ideas that do not exist at all in another language or culture? That questio n was central to Martin Schröder's research into Toposa, a language spoken in South Sudan. He shows that translators work in a much more creative and versatile way than traditional Bible translation handboo ks suggest.

Schröder worked in East Africa for 45 years as a l inguist and consultant for Bible translations. During that time, he d iscovered that Toposa speakers and translators use different strategi es in practice than the methods recommended in training courses and m anuals. This led to an extensive analysis of how unfamiliar concepts can still be made understandable to readers and listeners.

New meaning for existing words
The research shows tha t Toposa speakers introduce new concepts in diverse ways. They give e xisting words a new meaning, combine words, borrow terms from other l anguages, or add extra explanation. Bible translators do something si milar, but also use translation-specific techniques, such as replacin g an unfamiliar term with a similar local concept or employing more g eneral terms.

According to the study, it does not stop at the t ext alone. Translators also use tools such as footnotes, glossaries, maps, images, and introductions to provide readers with additional co ntext. In doing so, translation becomes not only a linguistic task bu t also a form of cultural mediation.

The findings are relevant for education, language preservation, and communication in multilingu al societies. Especially in regions where languages ​​and culture s differ significantly, better knowledge of these translation strateg ies can help make information more accessible.

Attentio n to cognitive processes
In addition, Schröder emphasize s the importance of paying attention to cognitive processes in the tr aining of translators. New words and ideas are not simply translated literally but must align with how people understand and use language. According to him, translation programs should therefore pay more att ention to natural language use and to the wide range of techniques th at translators apply in practice. According to Schröder, the cogniti ve-linguistic model used, lexical pragmatics, proves too limited for languages ​​such as Toposa, in which words often consist of combi nations of multiple meaningful parts. The model should therefore be f urther expanded to better align with such languages. Successful trans lation is not just about words, but above all about understanding, cu lture, and context.

More information on the thesis

DESCRIPTION: Translating unknown concepts into Toposa: a lexical-pragm atic approach Bible translators in South Sudan develop creati ve solutions for unfamiliar concepts

How do you trans late words and ideas that do not exist at all in another language or culture? That question was central to Martin Schröder's research int o Toposa, a language spoken in South Sudan. He shows that translators work in a much more creative and versatile way than traditional Bibl e translation handbooks suggest.Schröder worked in East Africa for 4 5 years as a linguist and consultant for Bible translations. During t hat time, he discovered that Toposa speakers and translators use diff erent strategies in practice than the methods recommended in training courses and manuals. This led to an extensive analysis of how unfami liar concepts can still be made understandable to readers and listene rs.New meaning for existing words
The research sh ows that Toposa speakers introduce new concepts in diverse ways. They give existing words a new meaning, combine words, borrow terms from other languages, or add extra explanation. Bible translators do somet hing similar, but also use translation-specific techniques, such as r eplacing an unfamiliar term with a similar local concept or employing more general terms.According to the study, it does not stop at the t ext alone. Translators also use tools such as footnotes, glossaries, maps, images, and introductions to provide readers with additional co ntext. In doing so, translation becomes not only a linguistic task bu t also a form of cultural mediation.The findings are relevant for edu cation, language preservation, and communication in multilingual soci eties. Especially in regions where languages ​​and cultures diffe r significantly, better knowledge of these translation strategies can help make information more accessible.Attention to cognitive processes
In addition, Schröder emphasizes the importan ce of paying attention to cognitive processes in the training of tran slators. New words and ideas are not simply translated literally but must align with how people understand and use language. According to him, translation programs should therefore pay more attention to natu ral language use and to the wide range of techniques that translators apply in practice. According to Schröder, the cognitive-linguistic model used, lexical pragmatics, proves too limited for languages ​� ��such as Toposa, in which words often consist of combinations of mul tiple meaningful parts. The model should therefore be further expande d to better align with such languages. Successful translation is not just about words, but above all about understanding, culture, and con text.More information on the thesis END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR