ALTA NTP (Legal Specialty Certifications) key terms

The original document or utterance a translator works from. It establishes the meaning, tone, and constraints that the translated version must convey, and it must be fully understood before drafting begins.

The degree to which a translation preserves the meaning, intent, and significant detail of the source without adding, dropping, or distorting content. It is weighed against naturalness in the target language.

The relationship in which a target-language expression performs the same communicative function as the corresponding source expression. Translators seek it at the level of meaning, effect, or function rather than word form.

A strategy that reproduces the effect the source produces on its original readers, favoring natural target-language expression over matching the source's grammatical form.

A strategy that mirrors the source's structure, syntax, and terminology as closely as the target language allows, often at some cost to fluency and idiom.

Rendering each source word or morpheme with its closest target counterpart while keeping source word order. It helps diagnose structure but often yields unidiomatic output.

The stretch of source text a translator treats as a single decision, whether a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph. Skilled translators vary the unit instead of defaulting to words.

A pair of words in two languages that look or sound alike but differ in meaning, so a literal rendering produces an error the translator must catch.

A sentence structure that allows more than one grammatical reading. The translator must resolve it from context before choosing a target construction.

The purpose a translation is meant to serve in its target setting, which guides decisions about what to preserve, adapt, or leave out.

The translated product delivered to its readers. It is judged on how completely it carries the source meaning and how naturally it reads in the receiving language and culture.

A rendering that conveys the overall sense of the source while recasting sentences, omitting details, or adding material. It suits some persuasive or literary contexts but risks fidelity loss.

A shift in grammatical category between source and target, such as rendering a source noun with a target verb. It is a standard tool for producing natural target syntax.

A shift in point of view or semantic category, such as turning a negative statement into an affirmative one. Meaning is preserved while the angle of presentation changes.

Making up in one part of the target text for a feature, such as wordplay, rhythm, or formality, that could not be reproduced where it appeared in the source.

Adding information in the target that the source left implicit, often to resolve ambiguity or supply cultural background that target readers may lack.

Unintended carryover of source grammar, collocation, or idiom into the target text, producing phrasing that is grammatically possible but unidiomatic.

The surface links that tie sentences together, including pronouns, conjunctions, and lexical repetition. Translators rebuild these links when target grammar uses different devices.

The overall logical and conceptual consistency that makes a text understandable as a whole, apart from the surface links between individual sentences.

The level of formality and the stylistic variety a text uses, shaped by audience, purpose, and setting. Matching it matters as much as matching propositional meaning.

The relationship between participants in a communicative situation, including relative power, distance, and formality. It shapes choices such as pronouns, honorifics, and politeness markers.

The habitual co-occurrence of words in a language, such as a verb that customarily pairs with a particular noun. Wrong pairings are a common marker of non-native phrasing.

The emotional or evaluative associations a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Getting them wrong can invert the tone of a passage even when the denotation is right.

The direct, literal referent of a word, as distinct from the feelings or associations it evokes. Translators must check both layers when choosing among near-synonyms.

A fixed multiword expression whose meaning cannot be derived from its parts. Idioms usually require an equivalent target expression rather than a word-for-word rendering.

A loan translation in which a compound or phrase is reproduced morpheme by morpheme from another language, importing the structure rather than borrowing the word whole.

Keeping a source-language word unchanged in the target text, often italicized or quoted. It is common for proper names, culture-specific items, and terms with no accepted equivalent.

The systematic collection, verification, and storage of approved terms with definitions and usage notes so that they are applied consistently across a project.

A source text paired with its published translation, or comparable texts in two languages on the same subject, used to study conventions and confirm accepted terminology.

Culture-specific items such as foods, institutions, currency, and customs that have no exact counterpart in the target culture. They call for borrowing, explanation, or a functional substitute.

An allusion to a practice, product, event, or figure that readers of the source would recognize. Translators judge whether target readers share that knowledge or need a brief addition.

An indirect reference to a well-known text, person, or event that depends on the reader's background knowledge. Unrecognized allusions lose their effect and may need adjusting.

A strategy that brings the text close to the target reader by replacing foreign cultural markers with familiar ones and smoothing unfamiliar phrasing.

A strategy that deliberately preserves source-culture markers and unusual phrasing so the target reader senses the text's foreign origin and setting.

Converting text from one writing system into another by representing its sounds or characters, as in romanization. It preserves pronunciation rather than meaning.

Titles, pronouns, and suffixes that encode respect or social rank. Languages differ sharply in how they mark them, so translators must often choose between explaining rank and dropping it.

The combination of language, region, and formatting conventions that determines how dates, numbers, currency, and punctuation are presented to a target audience.