Développement Terminologique dans la Langue Ikwerre par la Traduction Scientifique
Keywords:
traduction scientifique, développement terminologique, langue ikwéré, procédures de traduction, expansion lexicale, langues africaines, intellectualisation, scientific translation, terminological development, Ikwerre language, translation procedures, lexical expansion, African languages, intellectualizationAbstract
Résumé
Les langues africaines, à l’instar de l’ikwéré, font face à d’importantes limitations pour exprimer des concepts scientifiques en raison d’un lexique technique encore insuffisamment développé. Cette contrainte réduit leur application dans les domaines de l’enseignement, de la recherche et de la formulation des politiques publiques. Le présent document de position affirme que la traduction scientifique représente une méthode efficiente pour le développement terminologique en ikwéré, favorisant ainsi l’enrichissement de son vocabulaire spécialisé et son processus d’intellectualisation. L’analyse se fonde sur les méthodes de traduction de Vinay et Darbelnet (1995), en particulier l’emprunt, le calque, la modulation, la transposition et l’adaptation, en tant que mécanismes de génération terminologique dans les langues caractérisées par une faible dotation lexicale. Les notions fondamentales — développement terminologique, traduction scientifique et leur interaction fonctionnelle — sont analysées afin d’illustrer leur contribution à l’enrichissement lexical tout en préservant la signification culturelle. Les objections portant sur l’incohérence linguistique et l’imposition culturelle sont également examinées à la lumière d’études conduites dans d’autres langues africaines. L’étude s’achève par des préconisations opérationnelles adressées aux terminologues ainsi qu’aux professionnels de l’éducation.
African languages, such as Ikwerre, face significant limitations in expressing scientific concepts because their technical lexicon remains insufficiently developed. This constraint reduces their application in the fields of education, research, and public policy formulation. This position paper argues that scientific translation represents an efficient method for terminological development in Ikwerre, thereby promoting the enrichment of its specialized vocabulary and its process of intellectualization. The analysis is based on the translation methods of Vinay and Darbelnet (1995), particularly borrowing, calque, modulation, transposition, and adaptation, as mechanisms of terminological generation in languages characterized by limited lexical resources. The fundamental notions—terminological development, scientific translation, and their functional interaction—are examined in order to illustrate their contribution to lexical enrichment while preserving cultural meaning. Objections concerning linguistic inconsistency and cultural imposition are also analyzed in the light of studies conducted in other African languages. The study concludes with practical recommendations addressed to terminologists as well as education professionals.
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