The parts of written or spoken text surrounding a piece of content that clarify the meaning, and which are particularly important when multiple meanings could be attributed to that content.
When multiple meanings are possible, translators need background and reference information so they can choose the right word. Having context available is crucial for localizers to provide a top-notch translation.
The practice of proactively maintaining dictionaries and glossaries to improve consistency within an organization. Terms are organized and controlled based on accepted standards, with a clear set of guidelines dictating their use within local contexts.
Terminology management enables correct and consistent use of terms throughout the writing or translation process, or any other effort requiring accurate vocabulary usage.
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The analysis of a given text or corpus, with the goal of identifying relevant term candidates within their context. Also called term mining or term harvesting.
Term extraction is the starting point of all terminology management tasks. Term extraction is usually followed by the elimination of inconsistencies. Well-managed terminology improves quality, reduces costs, and improves time to market.
Attributes of content you can use to structure, semantically define, and target content.
Extends the capabilities of content, making it more powerful and enabling efficient operation in a data-driven world.
Alphabetical list of terms and definitions that is used consistently by all stakeholders of a specific project or product, including localization.
Glossaries support localization efforts by eliminating ambiguity in how terms are used in specific contexts, which, in turn, improves communication and translation. Glossaries intended for internal use or by the localization vendor tend to be more detailed than those intended for customers.
A curated set of vocabulary selected to communicate clearly and simply for a specific purpose. Controlled language is often used when writing for machine translation or for global audiences.
Controlled language is a critical feature of writing for localization. It is an umbrella term that encompasses several initiatives, including Plain Language, Simplified Technical English, and Caterpillar Fundamental English, among others. Effective controlled language initiatives choose the simplest terms needed to convey meaning, while also restricting grammar, syntax, and verb forms.
Reduces translation time and cost by reusing translated content from the repository. Translation memories are part of a client company’s intellectual property.
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Phrase, sentence, paragraph, or sentence-like piece of text that represents a cognitive unit and is used when searching for a match in a translation memory (TM) database.
Discrete segments of text show up repeatedly across various pieces of text. Matching source segments in the TM for which previously approved translations exist increases efficiency in the translation process by providing the relevant translation to the translator.
A conventional set of symbols that visually represent sounds and ideas.
Scripts, or writing systems, are the framework for conveying meaning graphically, and all written words use some form of script. These systems are classified into three types: logographic, syllabic, and segmental[Daniels 1996][Nakanishi 1989]. Encoding standards such as ISO/IEC 10646, and Unicode, have been developed as a way of representing most, (but certainly not all), scripts in common use today[Unicode]. Of the 7,000+ languages spoken today, roughly a third are considered endangered. Many of these either don’t have scripts or are not supported.
The process whereby a human translator edits machine-translated output to achieve an acceptable level of quality in the final product.
Machine translation (MT) is frequently used in the translation industry because of its gains in speed and scale. Yet, there is often a loss in quality. Human post-editing improves MT output, bringing the quality up to acceptable levels.