Absence of Correspondences (Non-equivalent lexis)

Non-equivalent lexis is words and word-combinations of the source language, denoting objects, processes and other realia which do not exist or have correspondences at present in the target language. Krupnov, a famous Russian linguist, considers that regarding this problem it’s necessary to take into account two points:

1. Lexis can be non-equivalent because the target language has no ready equivalence (that is temporary non-equivalence). Ex: bungee jumping - прыжок с помощью эластичного троса (с моста, скалы), coach-surfing (

2. Lexis is regarded non-equivalent as there can’t be equivalent and the only way out is loan translation (or calque) or transcription/transliteration (that is constant non-equivalence). Ex: самовар samovar, косоворотка - Russian shirt (with collar fastening on one side); backbencher - рядовой член парламента, "заднескамеечник"

Lacunas can also be regarded as non-equivalent lexis because these words don’t have equivalents in the target language because they denote specific elements typical of the source language national culture only (siblings - полнородные братья и сестры; родные братья и сестры; arm/hand – рука).

Most often non-equivalent lexis can be found in science fiction and scientific and technical literature where authors use a lot of terms and neologisms, in social and political essays (Bushism – бушизм: an apparently fatuous statement attributed to George W. Bush, 43rd Presidnt of the USA; шарашка – sharashka: a prison camp in the former Soviet Union where academics and technicians worked on secret state projects to avoid forced labour in harsher camps) and among the following realia: geographical and ethnographical (Stakhanovism - (in the former Soviet Union) a system designed to raise production by offering incentives to efficient workers; Stakhanovite – стахановец); everyday life realia (brandy, изба) and political ones (агитпункт - propaganda / agitation centre; (в предвыборной кампании) canvassing / campaigning centre, election campaign centre / office).

The main ways of translating non-equivalent lexis are transcription/transliteration (окрошка – okroshka; know-how - ноу-хау), loan translation (brain drain - утечка мозгов (массовая эмиграция научных работников), дом культуры - house of culture) and descriptive translation (щи - cabbage soup; дружинник - (добровольный помощник милиции) member of voluntary police, police helper).

And it is the context and translator’s knowledge that play the main role when translating non-equivalent lexis.

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