Etymology and translation

[Aunt Spiker]

Does anyone know the "rules" or translation?

Why is it that, when a historic or ancient book is translated *most* or all but a few words are translated - but a few select terms are translated into a different language or left in their original language?

But, yet, the translator will make a foot note and give the word a description.

For example - words or phrases I've seen not-translated (even in old writings that are not based on the rhyme and rhythm of poetry) ... like "ipso facto" and "ex post facto" and "a la dure main"

'ipso facto' is in Aristotle's 'Poetics' - and it's one of few terms that isn't translated although 'Poetics' isn't poetry, it's just philosophy.

So at what point does a term become 'untranslatable?'

 

[Arch Enemy]

I am not any sort of expert on the field. But I would say that there are instances where a phrase or a word might only mean something in the language it was originally written in. Idioms, for example.

In the case of ancient Greek languages the Attica Dialects were so numerous and so non-standard that sometimes it is even impossible to understand certain prefixes or meanings in general. Context clues aren't always helpful.

just my penny.

 

[bub]

Does anyone know the "rules" or translation?

Why is it that, when a historic or ancient book is translated *most* or all but a few words are translated - but a few select terms are translated into a different language or left in their original language?

But, yet, the translator will make a foot note and give the word a description.

For example - words or phrases I've seen not-translated (even in old writings that are not based on the rhyme and rhythm of poetry) ... like "ipso facto" and "ex post facto" and "a la dure main"

'ipso facto' is in Aristotle's 'Poetics' - and it's one of few terms that isn't translated although 'Poetics' isn't poetry, it's just philosophy.

So at what point does a term become 'untranslatable?'

I'm convinced that sometimes it's to look intelligent (like in psychology books, they let some words in German, or some words in French like "du jour" - that's not necessary)

Sometimes it's just a tradition (all the latin expressions like "in fine"), everyone does that

And sometimes it's useful, some expressions are more precize or more concise (like "mutatis mutandis"), or some words that do not exist in English

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Thank you both - some good ideas on the issue!