Linguistic Processes in the Translation of English Maximizers into Thai
Keywords:
linguistic processes, maximizers, metaphor, metonymy, translationAbstract
Objectives: The objective of this research article is to analyze the linguistic processes in the translation of English maximizers into Thai.
Methods: The data were collected from speech utterances comprising three maximizers, i.e. absolutely (107 occurrences), completely (117 occurrences), and totally (63 occurrences), in the online English-Thai parallel concordance program provided by Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University.
Results: It was found that the English maximizers were translated into Thai by 1) lexical processes including words denoting such concepts as FLUID IN A CONTAINER, TRUTH AND CERTAINTY, NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES, HABIT/REPETITION and FORCE, and restricted intensifiers; and 2) morpho-syntactic processes including phonological reduplication, semantic repetition, resultatives, and final particles. The research results align with the findings from previous literature. It is worth noting that most translated expressions are grounded by both metaphor and metonymy. The latter plays a crucial part in understanding Thai intensifiers, where previous studies claimed that such intensifiers are grounded by metaphor. This study also discusses the meanings of Thai intensifiers from a cognitive linguistic perspective, hence yielding explanations regarding the cognitive system of native Thai speakers through intensification in language.
Application of this study: The linguistic processes in the translation of English maximizers into Thai will shed light on the concepts of intensification through translation. The study can also serve as a case study for teaching linguistics and translation.
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