Teisaldamist

Teisaldamist is the Estonian term for the act of translation, the process of rendering a text from one language into another while preserving meaning, style, and function as closely as possible. It covers written translation and related tasks such as localization and adaptation for specific audiences.

Etymology: from the verb teisaldama, "to translate," with the noun-forming suffix -mist.

Scope and types: translations can be literary, technical, legal, medical, or marketing; localization adapts content to a target culture; interpretation is related but typically treated separately.

Process and methods: typical workflow includes analyzing the source text, researching terminology, drafting the target version, and revising. Translators apply strategies to balance accuracy, readability, and cultural appropriateness, guided by terminology databases and style guides.

Technology and community: translation increasingly uses computer-assisted tools and terminology databases, and may involve machine translation with post-editing. The field is supported by professional standards and ethics, including confidentiality and accuracy.

History and impact: translational practice spans antiquity to the digital age, enabling cross-cultural knowledge exchange, global commerce, and international diplomacy. It remains central to localization in the digital economy and plays a key role in multilingual communication across public and private sectors.