An Untranslatable language?
Peter Newmark wrote in one of his major works that there is nothing that cannot be translated and it is the translator’s responsibility to be able to find an appropriate solution to deal with a certain linguistic issue like a term, phrase or expression. But what happens when the entire language is not only so different in terms of form and structure but also in terms of constructing the image of the natural world that some words are simply untranslatable?
“Kah-plah-yeh” means “thank you/you’re welcome” in Koro, which is a newly discovered language that linguists have stumbled upon while researching on Aka and Miji - other two minority languages spoken in India. Koro was discovered during an expedition in 2008 that was a part of National Geographic's Enduring Voices project. Linguists report that the newly found language distinguishes itself from the widely known ones in terms of words, sounds and structure.
What is even more interesting is that it would appear that the territorial proximity of Aka tribe has not influenced Koro to a significant extent and the differences in sounds between the two languages can be compared to the ones in English and Japanese. Linguists have expressed concerns over the endangered language spoken by only 800 people, especially because of the fact that Koro does not have a written form. This aspect might also appear to be one of the major difficulties that translators will have to face.
However, there is more to it than the lack of the written form, claims Dr. Anderson who stresses that Koro depicts “reality in very different ways”. What’s more, he states that Koro "uniquely codes knowledge of the natural world in ways that cannot be translated into a major language." One of the possible reasons for the interesting aspect of describing the surrounding world and the nature might be the isolation of the Koro speakers who are “hidden” by steep hillsides. Therefore, from a linguistic point of view, Koro could be a great example of Sapir-Whorf hypothesis that language is strongly influenced by the reality we live in. “Untranslatable” Koro words reflect the unique perception of the surrounding world by the northeastern Indian tribe inhabiting a “black hole”. Perhaps in order faithfully to translate the mysterious language, one has firstly to enter the world of its speakers.
Anna Bernacka
On Work Placement with Knockhundred Translations
For further information on what we look for in our linguists, please refer to the following pages:
Show/hide comment form
