BA PROJECT

Invented languages in Jonathan

Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels

Candidate: Boricean Teodora-Maria

Supervisor: Conf. dr. Oana Tatu

 Motivation for the chosen topic

Interest in translation and literature alike

Passion for Jonathan Swift’s novel
The interesting set of languages Gulliver’s Travels
Reading the novel again, I realized that I could do a possible research on the languages
invented by Swift, which happened to combine translation with literature.
 The intention of the paper

The paper focuses on understanding the complexity of the translation process.

It aims to illustrate the invented languages ​from Swift's novel, more precisely their translation.

Offers several translations in Romanian , and provides commentaries

 The structure of BA PROJECT

Chapter I. An overview of translation: theory and practice

I.1. A short history of translation
I.2. Translation Strategies
I.3. Issues in the process of translation
I.3.1 Translatability
I.3.2 Untranslatability
I.3.3 Culture and translation
I.4. Equivalence in translation- an overview
 Chapter II

Chapter II. The translation for children’s literature

II.1 Children Literature
II.2 Writing and translating for children and adults
II.3. Translating for children vs translating for adults
II.3.1 Translating for children
II.3.2 Translating for adults
II.4. Variables of children literature in translation
 Chapter III

Chapter III, Invented languages in Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels

III.1. Lilliputian language
III.2 Brobdingnagian language
III.3. The Laputan language
III.4. Houyhnhnm language
 The last chapter aims to illustrate all the aspects and characteristics treated in the
previous chapters, on Jonathan Swift's novel, Gulliver's Travels
 I started by giving a summary of the novel as link to the invented languages ​that
Swift presents. Fitzgerald( 1974, p250), illustrated the idea of ​travel, which he
describes as Gulliver's way of adapting to the world in which he lives.
 Next I took each language and looked for words and phrases from the original
and two Romanian translations. The aim of the paper is to observe how the
context can remain or change, regarding the original English version and the two
translations.
 Lilliputian language

The words taken from the Lilliputian language are similar to Latin, which shows
that Swift uses the principle of adapting this language to an existing one, interpreting
some words.

Tolgo phonac Shoot the arrows Atac!

Quinbus Flestrin Man Mountain imensului om-munte
Langro dehul san Let him go Dezlegarea mâinilor
 Brobdingnagian language

Grildrig tiny man(The Om mic/vietate

The words extracted from the novel are formed word imports
what the Latins
not only from Latin, but Swift also takes over certain call
nanunculus(Swift’
structures from English and Italian.
s own neologism,
compounded of
nanus(dwarf) and
homunculus(mani
kin)), the Italians
humuncelentino,
and the English
mannikin)
Glumdalclitch my little nurse dădaca mititică
Lorbrulgrud Pride of the Orgoliul
Universe Universului
 Laputan language
The language of the Laputans is based more on symbols, the inhabitants of that community are
keen on science, mathematics and music, which is also described by Swift in the way the language is
borrowed from Chinese.
Symbols describe the political status
Balnibarbi is one of the regions belonging to Laputa, a region that illustrates social and political
categories, represented by a corresponding letter, ” thus N, signifies a plot, B, a regiment of horse, L,
a fleet at sea”.
Luggnagg, another region belonging to Laputa, is a community closer to England, regarding
politics and aspects related to science, mathematics and music.
Laputa Floating Island Insula plutitoare
Nec vir fortis, nec Not a man was brave nor Nici bărbații nu sunt
foemina casta a woman chaste puternici. Nici femeile
caste
skudask a sort of begging un mod de mulțumire
Houyhnhnm language
Houyhnhnm language is the language of horses with remarkable intelligence. This
language is taken from German, using some longer constructions that once translated into
English or Romanian, can only illustrate one thing.
What is remarkable about the last language that Gulliver has contact with is the fact
that it illustrates two categories of inhabitants: intelligent horses which do not use words,
but gestures and yahoos, who are similar to humans, but with a low percentage of
intelligence. All inhabitants use gestures. Horses use their specific sound, and yahoos,
not having too much knowledge, are reduced to barbaric and unthinking gestures.

Ylnhniamshy natives of a land locuitori indigeni ai

acestei insule
Whnaholm Yahoo the loss of a child Moartea unui copil
Hnuy illa nyha majah take care of thy self, Ai grijă de tine, Yahoole
Yahoo gentle Yahoo blând
 Findings/Conclusions

This whole paper illustrates how the translation process works and how a new language can be created.

Not only the context is what helps, but also strategies such as adaptation, interpretation, borrowing. The

study of the strategies used in the translation process helped me to observe how a language can borrow

certain characteristics and adapt them to its own creation.

The translation strategies employed to render the meanings of these invented languages are:
 adaptation strategy which showed that the invented languages ​were adapted to the context of the story

 intepretation strategy which shows how the invented language is illustrated, also in connection with the

context
References

 Bell, R.T. 1991. Translation and Translating: Theory and Practice. London:
Longman.
 Robert P. Fitzgerald,1974, The Structure of Gulliver’s Travels, London
 Ritva Leppihalme, 1997, Culture Bumps: An Empirical Approach to the
Translation of Allusions, UK
 Jonathan Swift, 1992, Gulliver’s Travels, London
 THANK YOU
FOR YOUR ATTENTION!