Innovation
Technology
September 12, 2024
The journey of false friends in Spanish translation
Similar terms in two languages, but with different meanings, can cause problems; collaboration between translators helps mitigate risks
Would you know what the expression “false friends” means in Spanish? At first glance, it seems to mean the same as in Portuguese. However, in Spanish, “false friends” are not those who appear to be friends but actually are not. This would be a literal translation without real knowledge of the context, which is certainly a mistake.
In the vast and complex world of translation, “heterosemantics”, better known as “false cognates” in Portuguese, have proven to be both a challenge and a fascinating object of study. These terms that have orthographic or phonetic similarity in two languages, but different meanings, can cause potentially embarrassing moments.
They are linguistic illusions that play with the mind of those who wish to develop in more than one language, since, when learning a new language, it is common for people to come across terms or words that seem familiar, but which, in reality, hide totally different meanings. For example, the Spanish phrase “esto está exquisito!”, for people who know little of the language, might seem to refer to something abnormal or even unpleasant. But, quite the contrary, it refers to something of extraordinary quality!
The origin
The historical evolution of Romance languages, such as Portuguese and Spanish, from Vulgar Latin gave rise to false cognates. The influences of other languages, such as Germanic and Arabic, and the divergence in word evolution also contributed.
This linguistic proximity leaves room not only for false cognates, but also for the well-known “Portunhol”. However, even if someone feels they have a good level of understanding of “Portunhol”, they are not immune to the danger of falling into one of the sad mistakes of false cognates.
And that is precisely the big problem that overconfidence can bring in translations, the assumption that similar words or expressions in different languages have the same meaning, which is not always true. This can lead to misunderstandings, distortions and ineffective communication.
In sectors such as the medical or legal fields, where precision is fundamental, errors caused by false cognates can have severe consequences. For example, in a medical translation, confusing words like “constipado” (constipated) or “embarazada” (pregnant) could lead to a misdiagnosis.
Besides significance errors, false cognates can also affect the tone and formality of a text. A poorly translated term can make a formal document seem colloquial or even inappropriate, thus affecting the reader’s perception of the professionalism of the author or the organization presenting the document.
Lost in translation
An illustrative example of how false cognates can impact translation work is the case of the film “Lost in Translation”, which in Brazil received the title “Encontros e Desencontros”. This change significantly altered the perception of the film, since “Perdidos na tradução” refers to the difficulty of communication and the loss of meaning in the translation process.
The choice of words in the title shifted the focus to a theme of personal encounters and missed connections, causing a departure from the original intention of the film, which was to address cultural and linguistic confusion. This adjustment not only may confuse the viewer about the true content and tone of the film, but also highlights the importance of maintaining fidelity to the original meaning.
Films like “The Sound of Music” (“The Sound of Music”), “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (“Forget About Me”), “Clueless” (“Clueless”) and “Fast & Furious” (“The Fast and the Furious”) also had their titles altered without considering the true meaning of the originals. These cases are quite popular and even the target of jokes among the public.
Of course, it is not always possible to maintain a literal translation that preserves the original meaning and intention of a title. Often, these adaptations are made so that titles are more attractive or understandable to the target audience, which can mean a loss of detail. The point is to balance fidelity to the original material with the necessary adaptation.
To address the challenges posed by false cognates, professional translators have developed a series of strategies. One of the most effective is continuous training and specialization in specific areas of translation. A translator specialized in a given area, such as medicine or law, will likely be more familiar with the technical terms and false cognates that may exist in the field.
The text revision is also a fundamental step in the translation process, as it allows for the identification and correction of errors, including those arising from false cognates. After the initial translation is completed, it is crucial to perform a rigorous analysis of the text to identify inaccuracies.
Likewise, it is convenient to create specific glossaries and lists of frequent cognates and false cognates in the languages, as these tools offer an accessible reference for translators to check doubtful words. Together with a good contextual analysis, the meaning of words can be deduced and, thus, the chances of confusion can be reduced and possible errors avoided.
The use of technological tools, similarly, has been crucial in mitigating errors related to false friends. Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT Tools) programs and terminological databases allow translators to verify the meaning and correct usage of potentially misleading terms. These tools offer suggestions based on previous translations and specialized glossaries, which can help ensure that the translator chooses the appropriate word for each context.
However, with the advancement of technologies, the problem of incorrect use of false friends tends to become more frequent, since, although artificial intelligences show high performance, they still need continuous human monitoring to achieve the best results. If it is already challenging for humans to understand the complexities of languages, for a machine, this task would be no less arduous.
In the last decade, the translation industry has witnessed a significant increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), in order to improve the accuracy and efficiency in text translation. However, AI also presents challenges related to false cognates, since, even though AI algorithms can process large volumes of data and learn linguistic criteria, they still seem to have difficulties with the nuances and exceptions that characterize false friends.
To mitigate these challenges, technology companies, such as Skylar, have been developing more sophisticated AI models that take context into account and can learn from previous errors. These advancements improve AI’s ability to overcome various linguistic barriers, including false cognates, without ever dispensing with the supervision of human translators, who can offer the sensitivity and common sense that machines cannot yet replicate.
For this reason, the final review by human beings is crucial, ensuring not only the coherence of the text for the reader but also the faithful transmission of the content as intended in the original language. It is essential that the translator maintain a critical eye. Machines can help identify false cognates, but they cannot always assimilate cultural or contextual nuances that could affect the translation.
One of the most effective strategies is to have a team of highly skilled and experienced translators who possess a deep understanding of the linguistic and cultural particularities of both languages. The continuous collaboration between native speakers of the source and target languages is also beneficial, allowing for cross-review and the exchange of essential knowledge for the accurate identification and correction of false cognates.
Collaborative translation platforms, such as WordReference Forums or ProZ, have also been developed over the years, allowing translators to share their knowledge and experiences with false cognates. These platforms function as social networks, where translation professionals can discuss controversial terms or even resources to avoid common errors. This type of collaboration not only improves the quality of individual translations but also contributes to the development of collective knowledge that benefits the translation community as a whole.
Creativity
On the other hand, it is essential to maintain space for flexibility and creativity in the translation process, especially when facing the challenges that false cognates impose. Certain circumstances may necessitate the adoption of innovative solutions, such as adapting or interpreting the phrase or choosing an alternative word that conveys the desired meaning as accurately as possible, given that a literal translation of words does not always mean what is intended to be conveyed.
False cognates are certainly among the most intriguing and potentially problematic challenges in translation. Their ability to deceive even experienced translators serves as a warning about the need for a careful approach in the translation process. But they are far from being the only ones!
Other situations in the translation between Portuguese and Spanish, such as grammatical differences, cultural variations, and linguistic expressions specific to each language, also present a high level of complexity and demand a specialized point of view to ensure that the translation is accurate and compatible with the context.
Through continuing education, research, the use of advanced tools, and collaboration among professionals, it is possible to mitigate these risks. Therefore, even though false cognates and their study are a crucial factor in the translation of both languages, they should be seen as just one of the many challenges of translation.
Instead of focusing exclusively on them, it is necessary to adopt a broader perspective that contemplates all linguistic aspects involved in translation, and to focus on continuous updating to face the diverse linguistic barriers of the global market.
This content was produced by:
Carolina Sepúlveda
Graduated in managerial process management from Paulista University. She has five years of experience in translation and is currently a project manager and quality analyst at Skylar.
Who wrote this column
Skylar
