Nontranslative

Nontranslative is an adjective formed from non- and translative, meaning not related to translation in a given sense. The precise meaning is context-dependent; in many technical disciplines it denotes the lack of a translational property or symmetry. Because translation can refer to moving in space or to translating language, nontranslative ought to be understood within its specific field.

In mathematics and physics, translative often refers to translation symmetry or translation-equivariance. A map or object is nontranslative if it is not invariant under translations. For example, with a translation T_a(x) = x + a, a function f may be nontranslative if f(x + a) ≠ f(x) for some a, or if f(T_a(x)) ≠ T_a(f(x)). In physics, a system lacking translational symmetry (nontranslative with respect to translations) has properties that depend on position, as when a lattice contains defects or a material’s internal structure varies in space.

In linguistic or translation-oriented contexts, translative can pertain to the ability to translate text or terms. Nontranslative, when used, is often informal or field-specific and may describe elements that resist straightforward translation. However, the more common terms in language studies are untranslatable or non-equivalent rather than nontranslative.

Etymology derives from Latin translatio “carried across” and the suffix -ive, signaling a property. Because nontranslative is specialized, its exact interpretation relies on the surrounding technical framework and is not a universally standardized term. See also translational symmetry, translation invariance, and untranslatable.