Onoverzetting
Onoverzetting is a term used in translation studies, particularly in Dutch-language scholarship, to describe untranslatability or non-equivalence: aspects of a source text that cannot be faithfully transferred into another language. It highlights that translation involves choices and that some meanings, connotations, or stylistic effects do not have exact counterparts in the target language, often requiring compromise, adaptation, or explanation.
Common forms of onoverzetting include:
- Lexical gaps: culture-specific terms or experiences for which no direct equivalent exists.
- Idioms and fixed expressions: figurative language that cannot be rendered literally without altering meaning.
- Cultural references: customs, rituals, or social realities that require contextualization or annotation.
- Pragmatic and discourse features: politeness strategies, humor, implication, or speech acts that do not map cleanly
- Wordplay and sound features: puns, alliteration, rhyme, or onomatopoeia that lose effect when translated.
Strategies to address onoverzetting:
- Paraphrase or explicitation: adding information to recover intended meaning.
- Calques or loan translations: borrowing structures from the source language.
- Neologisms or loanwords: introducing new terms to preserve concepts.
- Domestication vs. foreignization: choosing to adapt for target readers or to preserve source culture.
- Annotations and footnotes: offering background to preserve context.
Impact: recognition of onoverzetting helps translators weigh the trade-offs between fidelity and readability and informs editorial
See also: translation studies, untranslatability, equivalence, domestication, foreignization.