Homophonic translation
Encyclopedia
Homophonic translation renders a text in one language into a near-homophonic text in another language, usually with no attempt to preserve the original meaning of the text. In one homophonic translation, for example, English "sat on a wall" ˈsætɒnəˈwɔːl is rendered as French "s'étonne aux Halles" setɔnoɑl 'is surprised at the Market'. More generally, homophonic transformation renders a text into a near-homophonic text in the same or another language: e.g. "what a big nose!" becomes "water bag noise".
Homophonic translation may be used to render proper nouns in a foreign language. A more elegant solution, when possible, is phono-semantic matching
, which attempts to have closer semantics as well as the proper sound.
Alternatively, homophonic translation may be used for humorous purpose, as bilingual pun
ning (macaronic language
). This requires the listener or reader to understand both the surface, nonsensical translated text, as well as the source text—the surface text then sounds like source text spoken in a foreign accent.
(1956). Other examples of homophonic translation include some works by Oulipo
(1960–), Luis van Rooten
's English-French Mots D'Heures: Gousses, Rames (1967), Louis Zukofsky
's Latin-English Catullus Fragmenta (1969), Ormonde de Kay's English-French N'Heures Souris Rames
(1980), and David Melnick
's Ancient Greek-English Men in Aida
(1983).
Examples of homophonic transformation include Howard L. Chace's Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, published in book form in 1956.
Other names proposed for this genre include "allographic translation", "transphonation", or (in French) "traducson", but none of these is widely used.
Here is van Rooten's version of Humpty Dumpty
:
Though the individual words are almost all correct French (but 'fallent' is a form of the non-existent verb *'faller'), and some passages follow standard syntax and are interpretable (though nonsensical), the result is in fact not meaningful French.
Ghil'ad Zuckermann
's "Italo-Hebraic Homophonous Poem" is meaningfulin both Italian and Hebrew, "although it has a surreal, evocative flavour, and modernist style".
—are popular on YouTube
.
Homophonic translation may be used to render proper nouns in a foreign language. A more elegant solution, when possible, is phono-semantic matching
Phono-semantic matching
Phono-semantic matching is a linguistic term referring to camouflaged borrowing in which a foreign word is matched with a phonetically and semantically similar pre-existent native word/root....
, which attempts to have closer semantics as well as the proper sound.
Alternatively, homophonic translation may be used for humorous purpose, as bilingual pun
Bilingual pun
A bilingual pun is a pun in which a word in one language is similar to a word in another language; this is often done by mixing languages, and is a form of macaronic language...
ning (macaronic language
Macaronic language
Macaronic refers to text spoken or written using a mixture of languages, sometimes including bilingual puns, particularly when the languages are used in the same context . The term is also sometimes used to denote hybrid words, which are in effect internally macaronic...
). This requires the listener or reader to understand both the surface, nonsensical translated text, as well as the source text—the surface text then sounds like source text spoken in a foreign accent.
Examples
Frayer Jerker is a homophonic translation of the French Frère JacquesFrère Jacques
"Frère Jacques" , in English sometimes called "Brother John" or "Brother Peter", is a French nursery melody. The song is traditionally sung in a round. When the first singer reaches the end of the first line the next person starts at the beginning...
(1956). Other examples of homophonic translation include some works by Oulipo
Oulipo
Oulipo is a loose gathering of French-speaking writers and mathematicians which seeks to create works using constrained writing techniques. It was founded in 1960 by Raymond Queneau and François Le Lionnais...
(1960–), Luis van Rooten
Luis van Rooten
Luis van Rooten, was an American film actor. He was christened Luis d'Antin van Rooten.Van Rooten earned his BA at the University of Pennsylvania and worked as an architect before deciding to pursue film work in Hollywood during World War II...
's English-French Mots D'Heures: Gousses, Rames (1967), Louis Zukofsky
Louis Zukofsky
Louis Zukofsky was an American poet. He was one of the founders and the primary theorist of the Objectivist group of poets and thus an important influence on subsequent generations of poets in America and abroad.-Life:...
's Latin-English Catullus Fragmenta (1969), Ormonde de Kay's English-French N'Heures Souris Rames
N'Heures Souris Rames
Mots D'Heures: Gousses, Rames: The D'Antin Manuscript , published in 1967 by Luis d'Antin van Rooten is purportedly a collection of poems written in archaic French with learned glosses...
(1980), and David Melnick
David Melnick
David Melnick is an American poet. Melnick has written four books of poetry to date: Eclogs ; PCOET ; Men in Aida, Book One , and A Pin's Fee.Melnick is commonly regarded as a language poet...
's Ancient Greek-English Men in Aida
Men in Aida
Men in Aida is a homophonic translation of Book One of Homer's Iliad into a farcical bathhouse scenario, perhaps alluding to the homoerotic aspects of ancient Greek culture. It was written by the language poet David Melnick, and is an example of poetic postmodernism....
(1983).
Examples of homophonic transformation include Howard L. Chace's Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, published in book form in 1956.
Other names proposed for this genre include "allographic translation", "transphonation", or (in French) "traducson", but none of these is widely used.
Here is van Rooten's version of Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty is a character in an English language nursery rhyme, probably originally a riddle and one of the best known in the English-speaking world. He is typically portrayed as an egg and has appeared or been referred to in a large number of works of literature and popular culture...
:
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Though the individual words are almost all correct French (but 'fallent' is a form of the non-existent verb *'faller'), and some passages follow standard syntax and are interpretable (though nonsensical), the result is in fact not meaningful French.
Ghil'ad Zuckermann
Ghil'ad Zuckermann
Ghil'ad Zuckermann is an Israeli-Italian-British-Australian linguist, expert of language revival, contact linguistics, lexicology and the study of language, culture and identity...
's "Italo-Hebraic Homophonous Poem" is meaningfulin both Italian and Hebrew, "although it has a surreal, evocative flavour, and modernist style".
|
|
|
Song lyrics
Homophonic translations of song lyrics in music videos for comic effect—also known as soramimiSoramimi
or ; is a Japanese term for homophonic translation of song lyrics, that is, interpreting lyrics in one language as similar-sounding lyrics in another language...
—are popular on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
See also
- HolorimeHolorimeHolorime is a form of rhyme in which the rhyme encompasses an entire line or phrase. A holorime may be a couplet or short poem made up entirely of homophonous verses.-Holorime in English:...
, a form of rhyme where the entire line or phrase is repeated by a homophonic variant - MondegreenMondegreenA mondegreen is the mishearing or misinterpretation of a phrase as a result of near homophony, in a way that gives it a new meaning. It most commonly is applied to a line in a poem or a lyric in a song...
, the erroneous interpretation of language by homophony - SoramimiSoramimior ; is a Japanese term for homophonic translation of song lyrics, that is, interpreting lyrics in one language as similar-sounding lyrics in another language...
, the reinterpretation of song lyrics by homophonic translation - Phono-semantic matchingPhono-semantic matchingPhono-semantic matching is a linguistic term referring to camouflaged borrowing in which a foreign word is matched with a phonetically and semantically similar pre-existent native word/root....
(PSM), a borrowing in which a foreign word is matched with a phonetically and semantically similar pre-existent native word/root. - TranslationTranslationTranslation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...