TECHNICAL & SCIENTIFIC

TRANSLATION
 General Introduction

• Scientific translation is not like other translations, it goes

beyond just rendering words from one language into
another. It is rather considered a tool that helps people
around the world develop and progress in the field of
science. Thus a translator needs to ensure an accurate
delivery of information and shows faithfulness and
commitment to the source and the target language, so that
the translated information can be used easily and help in
developing other countries.
• One of the main problems that translation trainees may
face is how to deal with translating scientific terms
from English into Arabic, and in choosing the best
method to achieve a high- quality translation of those
terms which may enrich the Arabic language.
Scientific Register
Definition of Science
• Many definitions have been given to the word science.
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines science as:
• 1. (Knowledge obtained from), the systematic study of the
structure and behavior of the physical world, especially by
observing, measuring and experimenting, and the development
of the theories to describe the results of these activities.
• 2. A particular subject that is studied using scientific methods. 
• Generally speaking, science is a word that refers to the
organized approach of attaining knowledge, using a
scientific method that helps to organize thought,
procedures and then come into clear, faithful and
reliable results, free of subjectivity and personal
involvements.
Definition of Scientific Translation

• Scientific translation is mainly about translating terms in the

fields of science and technology of all kinds, medicine, physics,
chemistry, mathematics, computer sciences...etc from one
language into another (Ghazzala 1995).

• Scientific translations do not involve literary texts; they only

deal with texts from the world of electronics, medicine, law,
economics, engineering, chemistry, computer science,
automotive engineering, geology, etc. The number of technical
fields is infinitely large, and terminology is expanding and
changing daily.
• The scientific translation is considered as one of the
most important issues, as the world develops, new
technology appears, and along with them emerge new
terms to which finding an equivalent may pose a
problem.

• As Nida (1964) said in this point; it is not easy at all to

translate scientific terms that emerged in western
developed countries languages into a language of third
world countries which are still having financial and
social problems.
Definitions of Technical Translation
• Defined by Wright & Wright (1993), “[t]echnical
translation encompasses the translation of
special language texts, i.e., texts written using
Languages for Special Purposes (LSP).

• As such, technical translation (and “technical

terminology” as well) includes not only the
translation of texts in engineering or medicine,
but also such disciplines as economics,
psychology and law”(p. 1).
• In the broader sense, technical translation
is synonymous to specialized translation. In
the narrower sense, “technical translation is
one part of specialized translation”
(Newmark, 1988, p. 151).
• Despite the obvious connection between
technical and scientific translation, Newmark
(1988) notes, “in science, the language is
concept-centered; in technology, it is object-
centered” (p. 155).

• Likewise, Byrne (2006) argues that, “scientific

translation relates to pure science in all of its
theoretical, esoteric and cerebral glory while
technical translation relates to how scientific
knowledge is actually put to practical use”(p. 8).
• It is true that scientific and technical translations
differ in terms of subject matter, language and
purpose, as Newmark and Byrne maintain, yet, it
seems that both types are very much alike in
terms of the techniques of translation involved.
• That is perhaps why Olohan(2015) uses the
expression scientific and technical, not as a
reference to the same type of translation, but as
an indication that “they share some features,
challenges or approaches”(p. 7) and that any
discussion of technical translation can equally
hold for scientific translation.
The Aim of Scientific Translation
• Byrne (2006) claims that, scientific translation primary
goal is to deliver scientific information; it aims at
presenting well expressed information, that may be used
easily, properly and effectively. He referred to scientific
translation as a communicative service, which offers new
information for new audience, since scientific translation is
regarded as communicative service; it certainly involves
three main people, which are the author, the translator and
the reader.
• He added also, that it is much more than just rendering
source text language and style. Its main concern is to
ensure delivering information accurately and correctly,
in that it insures that the reader may use this
information easily.
Requirements of a Scientific Translator
• Scientific translators are not like other ordinary translators.
There are certain qualifications that they should have in order to
accomplish a good translation of scientific texts as well as to
deliver the exact information. This is because scientific
translation is not just to transfer ideas or information, but rather
to transfer technology and new invention that may help other
countries. According to the biomedical writer Bethany
Thivierge (2002:188) “The work of scientific translators is to
achieve one primary goal: to write information in a clear,
concise, and accurate manner”.
• He claimed that there are nine requirements that a scientific
translator should observe:
• 1. Work appropriate for the intended audience.
• 2. Respect for choices made by the author.
• 3. Respect for references.
• 4. Understanding of sciences.
• 5. Understanding of languages.
• 6. Constructive questions.
• 7. Work suitable for publication.
• 8. Familiarity with current practices.
• 9. Timely exchange of work.
• Following the same sense, Al-Hasnawi (2010) also discriminated six
characteristics– taken from the London Institute of Linguistics- that
the scientific translator should have:
• 1. Broad knowledge of the subject-matter of the text to be translated;
• 2. A well-developed imagination that enables the translator to
visualize the equipment or process being described;
• 3. Intelligence, to be able to fill in the missing links in the original
text;
• 4. A sense of discrimination, to be able to choose the most suitable
equivalent term from the literature of the field or from dictionaries;
• 5. The ability to use one's own language with clarity, conciseness
and precision;
• 6. Practical experience in translating from related fields.
• Byrne (ibid) also claimed that scientific translator is
communicating via the translated texts, in that he should look
further than the source text only to get more information from
different sources, to ensure an effective target text which serves
the communicative purpose.
Consequently, the translator becomes according to Göpferich
(1993) and Amman & Vermeer (1990:27) “the intercultural or
cross-cultural scientific writer”. Byrne (2006:17) goes further and
claimed

• … The need for translators to conduct research so as to understand not just

the text but also the subject while at the same time ensuring, by means of
revisions and corrections, that the text conforms to target language norms
and target audience expectations.
• Out of the six requirements listed above, the first
deserves special consideration because it bears on
the early attempts to found a theory of translation
advocating that the text whether literary or
scientific should be dealt with according to the way
language is used in them (Adams, 1967: 87).
 Scientific versus Literary Contexts
  

•    By setting off scientific against the

literary translation, their characteristics and
the problems that are likely to be
encountered in each, become more salient
as illustrated below.
 Scientific Texts Literary Texts
.Logicality - .Lack of argumentative progression -

.Precision - .Vagueness -
.Reason - .Emotion -
.Truth to particular reality - .Truth to the ideal -
.Generalization - .Concretion -
.Referential meaning - .Emotive meaning -
.Denotation - .Connotation -
.Lexical affixation - .Grammatical affixation -
.Idiomatic expressions are rare - .Idiomatic expressions are frequent -

Use of abbreviation, acronym, - Very few abbreviations, acronyms, -

.and registers .and registers
.Standard expressions - .Almost all varieties -
Use of scientific terminology, - No use of scientific terminology, or -
.specialized items, and formulae .formulae

No use of elements of figurative - Expensive use of figurative -

.language .language
Scientific Register
•  Generally speaking, the technical use of language
manifests itself in several ways.  The most obvious
one is non-deviation from ordinary grammar,
logically and argumentative progression.  This may
entail the adherence to items that are
conventionally used.
• For the purpose of more vivid characterization of
these texts, we shall mention some major ones of
these features by referring to Bakr-Serex (1997:
54-7):
• First, this register is characterized by the logical order of
utterances with clear indication of their interrelations and
interdependence.
•  Second, it flourishes the use of terms specific to each given
branch of science; in modern science; however, there is a
tendency to exchange terms between various branches of
science.
•  Third, another characteristic feature of this register is the
frequent use of specific sentence-patterns, usually
the Postulatory-“ A thing that is accepted as true or as
certain to happen, without proof”, the Argumentative and
the Formulative “express an idea in a concise or systematic
way” patterns. The impersonality of this type of writing can
be revealed in the frequent use of passive voice constructions
with which scientific experiments are generally described.
•         
• Fourth, one more observable feature of the
scientific register is the use quotations, references,
and foot-notes in accord with the main requirement
of this register, i.e. the logical coherence of the
ideas expressed.
• Finally, science does not have its own syntax
only, but also its own terminology. And we have
already hinted at the importance of the familiarity
with this terminology resting on a solid foundation
of previously acquired knowledge on behalf of the
translator. Therefore, it is not the language itself
which is special, but certain words or their
symbols.
Definition of terminology
• Webster’s new world college dictionary defines
Terminology as follows:
• 1. the terms or system of terms used in a specific
science, art, etc.; nomenclature lexicographer's
terminology
• 2. the systematic study of terms”
• On the other hand, Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
defines terminology as:

“Special words or expressions used in relation to a particular

subject or activity”. Terminology is viewed as a structured set of
concepts and their labels in a particular subject field, it can be
considered the infrastructure of specialized knowledge. Technical
writing and scientific papers are thus impossible without properly
using terminological resources. Terminology refers to all specific
terms and expressions used in a specific register as the terms:
endocrine system, cells, and hormones which are specific terms
generally used in scientific texts.
Scientific Terminology
• Scientific terms are not simple words; they are special and complex
ones. Scientific terms are the most significant feature in science,
they discriminate it from other registers (literary). These terms make
scientific texts incomprehensible for lay people; they are directed to
experts of the science. Thus scientists use them to dignify their
written works, in that William Zinasser (1976) explained that each
jargon has its own list of terms which lay people would not
understand easily. He (1976:15) wrote “Every profession has its
growing arsenal of jargon to fire at the lay man and hurls him back
from its walls.” Furthermore, Ilyas (1989:109) claimed that scientific
terminology varies from the regular and literary words since ‘they do
not accumulate emotional associations and implications’.
• Terminology is the study of terms which refer deliberately
to specific concepts within particular subject fields. In
other words, terms are always studied in relation to the
conceptual system to which they belong and in which they
function as depositors of knowledge [3].
• Neologisms can be defined as newly coined lexical units or
existing lexical units that acquire a new sense [4], and
although they cause a lot of trouble to translators, they are
at the same time popular with both writers and readers.
Moreover, finding equivalents in Arabic for technical
English terms causes many problems owing to the different
nature of both languages.
• These problems are likely to be manifested in the
continuous development in the field of science and
technology as well as the effect of mass media on
people who almost, everyday, receive new ideas and
innovations. Some of these problems can be identified
as follows:
• First, English utilizes Latin or Greek compound morphemes to
express some of these technical terms, e.g. television which is a
term made up of two free morphemes telos, meaning remote and
vision meaning sight or image. This compound term is used for a
set that brings images from a distance, thus, denoting its
function. English also encompasses terms which are built of
Greek or Latin roots or combination of the two such as
automobile, telephone. Experience has shown that apart from
changes in orthography, scientific terms taken from Greek or
Latin are admissible by the entire scientific world regardless of
language.
• Arabic, in contrast, is not as flexible as English in either
borrowing from other languages or in using compound
morphemes. This could be attributable to its rigorous
grammatical rules which were formulated in the medieval
period.
• Second, many of these technical terms are the products
of the West, i.e. they stand for products invented in
Europe or America which made it easier for the
inventors to name them either after their own names,
or resorting to European languages instead of Latin or
Greek. For instance, Watt stands for the electric
current unit which is named after the person who
invented this unit of measurement and the term
pasteurization which refers to a method of sterilizing,
especially milk, devised by the French scientist Louis
Pasteur.
• Third, there is no agreement among the Arabs on the
rendering of scientific and technical terms. For instance, the
English term engine which is of a Latin origin has no agreed-
upon Arabic term; in some parts of the Arab world it is
transliterated as ‫موتور‬and in other parts where people are
reluctant to use foreign names they instead prefer to give it
the Arabicized name ‫محرك‬. However, the problem is that this
term literally means a mover, a term that can be used vaguely
for even a person moving something. Another example of this
problem is the term mobile which has about eight Arabic
equivalents: sililūr, mubāyl, burtāble, maHmūl, jawwāl, hātif
mutaHarik, khilyawī and naqqāl the matter that give rise to
the abundance of terms.
• Fourth, most of the foreign terms are strange and new
to the Arab environment and culture making it difficult
if not possible to find equivalents for every term in
Arabic. For example, the term satellite causes a lot of
trouble for translators; some translators opted for
keeping its original Latin name satalayit others
translated it semantically as ‫ناعي‬KK‫ر ص‬K‫م‬KK‫ق‬and recently, it
has been given an Arabic term ‫اتل‬KK‫س‬by the Arabic
Academy in Tangeer.
Strategies of Translating English Technical Terms
into Arabic
• Dealing with terminology requires specific skills in the
form of some strategies that are likely to be fruitful and
serve the target language. In this respect, numerous
options are available for translators to translate
scientific terms into Arabic. On the other hand, several
Arabic agencies have devoted themselves officially or
unofficially to produce new set of terminology for
Arabic that may facilitate the translation process when it
comes to introduce new terms from the source language.
• There are several methods of translating
scientific terms into Arabic; each method differs
from the other in the use and the results it
produces. Those techniques will be discussed
and “ordered from the poorest to the best” .
Transcription/Arabicization

• Transcription or Arabicization is one of the strategies

widely used to translate scientific terms by introducing
minor phonetic and morphological changes to the foreign
term. It consists of writing the English scientific terms
using the Arabic alphabet with no alteration to their
pronunciation in the source language. Take the following
examples:
• 1. Microwave→‫میكرویف‬
,
• 2. Mega bite →‫میجابایت‬
• 3. Tetra bite→‫بایت‬K‫یترا‬KKK‫ت‬
• The problem with Arabicization/ Transcription is that it does not
give the meaning of the word in Arabic, besides the transcribed
terms are not pure Arabic ones; they are just borrowed and shaped
in Arabic letters.
• Using transcription neither serves the Arabic language nor enriches
its vocabulary. In fact, it is just an offence to the Arabic language,
because it implies that Arab translators are unable to invent new
pure Arabic terms and prefer the easy way to translate scientific
terms, thus, neglecting the significant statue of the Arabic language.
• Following this line of thought, Ghazzala (1995) argued that this
method should be avoided except in the case where translators
could not find equivalent for the term in Arabic language.
• For example:
• 1. Sandwich→‫اندویتش‬KK‫س‬
• Yet, if the terms have equivalent in Arabic, translators
have to use them instead of transcription, for example:
• 1. Computer→‫اسب‬N‫ح‬
• 2. Virus→ ‫رثومة‬N‫ج‬
• This method will be considered as a critical problem
opposed to translators, if they use it for ordinary terms
that have equivalents in Arabic as shown by the word
‘email’ usually transcribed as ‫اليمیل‬NN‫ ا‬and for which the
phrase ‫الكترونیة‬NN‫لة ا‬NN‫لرسا‬NN‫ ا‬can be used.
• According to Baker (1987) transcription and naturalization
have not received acceptance from the language purists
because they threaten the identity of Arabic. Thus,
translators are likely to come across a situation where they
need to be more creative by following certain methods that
may ensure the high quality and smoothness of translating
scientific terms. In an attempt to get over this obstacle,
Ghazzala (1995) suggested that coinage is the best method
for translating scientific terms. As for Baker (1987);
coining new terms is the only way that ensures the creation
of new specialized glossaries for the Arabic language.
Coinage
• This method aims at presenting new terms in the Arabic language via
three main processes.
• 1. Derivation
• Baker (1987) said that the Arabic language is usually referred to as the
language of derivation. She explained that the Arabic language word root
system is built up on three fundamental consonant roots; each one holds a
given meaning. The roots are used for the production of nominal and
verbal forms by adding prefixes, suffixes, infixes and vowels. For
example:
• 1. Data→‫ معطیات‬from‫عطى‬K‫ أ‬to give
• 2. Generator→ ‫ مولد‬from ‫ولد‬KK‫ ی‬to generate.
• 3. Factory→ K‫ مصنع‬from K‫نع‬KK‫ ص‬to manufacture
• 4. Studio→ K‫ مرسم‬from . K‫رسم‬KK‫ ی‬to paint
• According to Ghazzala (1995) derivation is based on
measurements; it aims at using certain measures found in the Arabic
language to derive new terms. The most used ones are machine-
names. For example:

• 1 .‫مفعل‬
• a. Laboratory→ ‫مخبر‬
• b. Anchorage→‫مرسي‬
• 2 .‫مفعلة‬
• a. Grease box→ ‫مشحمة‬
• b. Butchery→ ‫مجزرة‬
• 3 .‫مفعالة‬
• a. Refrigerator→ ‫الجة‬NNN‫ث‬
• b. Mixer→ N‫خالطه‬
• 4 ‫مفعال‬
• a. Drill→‫مثقاب‬
• b. Iron→ ‫مكواة‬
• Baker (1987) supported this method and claimed that it makes
understanding of the meaning of terms easier for the readers
since they are inherited from the root, which is already familiar,
used to derive that term. In other words, the derived terms are
not new to the vocabulary, they already exist but in different
forms. Furthermore, it is favored by academics since it does not
affect the identity of the Arabic language and the derivation
process is based on pure Arabic vocabulary roots.
• On the other hand, Ghazzala (1995) argued that derivation is
still a restricted way because it cannot be applied to all the
terms as some of them would not accept measures.
• 2. Revival
• Revival attempts to put back into use old Arabic words that
were used but fade away with the time and assigns them new
meanings. Baker (1987) said that this method uses Arabic
lexicon instead of trying to introduce new concepts that may
take time to be adopted.
• For example:
• 1. Train→ ‫طار‬KK‫ ق‬originally used to mean a line of camels
• 2. Car→ ‫یارة‬KK‫ س‬originally used to mean the night travelers
• 3. Environment→ ‫یئة‬KKK‫ ب‬originally used to mean domicile
• 4. Newspaper→ ‫ریدة‬K‫ ج‬originally used to mean the small palm
stick was used to write on
• Revival has proved its efficiency, however, it is still
not easy to look for old Arabic words; it consumes
time and effort and cannot be applied to cover all new
introduced terms in the field of science. Using this
method is not always successful because some of the
attempts to revive archaic words did not suit modern
Arabic vocabulary; they were “a subject of much
ridicule” (Baker, 1987:186).
• Neologisms aim at introducing new terms and concepts into the
Arabic language by translating the meaning. This method
according to Baker (1987) enjoys much acceptance. For
example:
• 1. Computer programming→ ‫لكمبیوتر‬KK‫رمجة ا‬KKK‫ب‬
• 2. Software→‫رمجیات‬KKK‫ب‬
• 3. Hardware→ ‫زة‬K‫جھ‬K‫أ‬
• 4. Phonetics→‫ت‬K‫ألصوا‬KK‫ ا‬K‫علم‬
• 5. word processing→‫لكلمات‬KK‫لجة ا‬KK‫ا‬K‫مع‬
• 6. Psychoanalysis→‫لنفسي‬KK‫لتحلیلا‬KK‫ا‬
• Finally, there have been great efforts to bring new
technical terms into Arabic, by any means available,
yet these methods should not threaten the Arabic
identity. Translators should consider the linguistic
differences between English and Arabic, for that they
need to coin terms that linguistically conform with
Arabic norms.
 Circumlocution
• Circumlocution ‫لترجمة‬KK‫ا‬KKK‫الشتقاقب‬KK‫ ا‬is a method of introducing new
terms into Arabic by giving the meaning of the foreign term. It
is a universal phenomenon in natural languages covering all
aspects of vocabulary [13]. This approach is also called in
Arabic ‫لمعنوي‬KK‫اقا‬K‫الشتق‬KK‫ا‬. (literally: derivation of meaning). This
method which was one of the methods of producing numerous
terms since the first Abbasid period has been formally
recognized by Arab academies. This recognition comes as a
result of the abundance of foreign terminology especially
compound neologisms where conventional attempts to reduce
them to one-word terms have failed,
• for instance the word ideal is translated as‫ألعلى‬KK‫لمثلا‬KK‫ا‬. Sometimes
an English word is translated into Arabic through a whole
statement, for example the term burglar is rendered according to
Oxford English-Arabic dictionary as ‫ياًل‬KK‫لمنازلل‬KK‫طو علىا‬K‫صيس‬KKK‫( ل‬a
thief breaks into houses during the night). Similarly the
following examples are also approved by the academies:
• Cartoon ‫ متحركة‬0‫رسوم‬
• Video‫لمرئي‬00‫لتسجيل ا‬00‫از ا‬0‫ه‬0‫ج‬
• Microphone‫لصوت‬00‫مكبرا‬
• Despite the fact that circumlocution is used to solve
the problem of composite neologisms, it has also led to
the problem of dualism of terminology in Arabic. This
is because the translator or the neologizer is not bound
by any rules while translating foreign terms. Many
composite Arabic terms have variants or are not
sufficiently current in their literary usage. For
example: the phrase conditioned reflex is translated
into Arabic sometimes as ‫لشرطي‬NN‫النعكاسا‬NN‫ا‬and sometimes
as ]9[‫لظرفي‬NN‫النعكاسا‬NN‫ا‬
• In summary, it has been observed from the discussion
above that circumlocution, unlike other methods, seems to
be less adequate and leads to the multiplicity of terms due
to the following:
• ● It produces longer terms than the original.
• ●It is usually a phrase and not a word that presents
syntactic problems. In addition, translation of these
neologisms often deviates from their real functional
meaning.
• ● Some translators invent their own arbitrary translation
which does not go with the Arabic molds and rules.
• ●Arab academies as well as some other prominent translators are
influenced by different foreign cultures (English and French)
which result in different translated terms. Therefore, the Arab
academies should take into consideration the following factors in
translating foreign terms:
• ● They should consider the social use of language because people
usually prefer easily pronounceable terms to difficult ones.
• ● Compound terms with difficult structures should be avoided.
Short terms are more preferable than long ones. Although there
are Arabic equivalents to the English prepositions, on and off
which are ‫شغيل‬KKK‫ ت‬and ‫اف‬K‫يق‬K‫إ‬many people are reluctant to use the
Arabic versions and still prefer to use the English terms because
they are shorter and easier to pronounce.
• In medical sphere, people still prefer to use the
transliterated English acronym AIDS rather than its
Arabic counterpart‫لمكتسب‬KK‫لمناعة ا‬KK‫قصا‬KK‫مرضن‬

• ● If the old Arabic term is suitable there is no need to

be replaced with another new one as people are already
familiar with the old term. For instance, the term car
has an old term as ‫يارة‬KK‫ س‬which indeed, is more
preferred than the new ones rakūbah and/or Markūb
(vehicle).
Blending

• More often than not Arab as well as non-Arab writers use

the term 'compounding' to refer to a word-formational
process traditionally known in Arabic by the name of
]6‫نحت‬
[ ‫ل‬KK‫ا‬. Blending is a term widely used in descriptive
linguistic studies to refer to a linguistic unit which is
composed of elements that function independently in other
circumstances [8]. It is the merger of two words into one to
mean a new concept. For instance: electromagnetic
kahrumaghnāTisī is coined from two words electric
kahrabāī and magnetic maghnaTisī.
• There is some disagreement between Arab linguists as to the
exact meaning of blending. For some, it must involve
contraction and is therefore analogous to the English term
blending whereas others use it to refer to straight forward
compounding. In fact, blending is not a phenomenon peculiar to
Arabic only but also to other languages such as English from
which we extract the following: compound noun such as
walking stick, keyhole, teatime, bedroom, rainfall and washing
machine as well as compound verbs as come in, check out and
so on. Furthermore, The term compounding or compound may
be accurately applied to blending or mixed compounding which
in Arabic is referred to as almurakkab al-majzī.. Jesperson gives
some examples in English:
• blunt blind + stunt origin unknown
• glaze glare + gaze (coined by Shakespeare) from glass
• slide slip + glide from Anglo-Saxon slidan
• We may add: brunch from (breakfast + lunch), smog from (smoke +
fog), and motel from (motor + hotel). On the other hand, blending is
seen as only the emergence of two words to form a word with a new
meaning, for instance, biology bayuluji which comes from two
Greek words bios meaning life and logos meaning science. Another
word geography jughrafiyā derives from the Greek words ge
meaning the earth and graphei meaning to write. Moreover, the Arab
scholar useful words which are created by blending such as the
famous Arabic term ‫رمائي‬KKK‫( ب‬amphibious) which is coined from barr
(land) and ma' (water)., we may not benefit from this linguistic
phenomenon in Arabic.
The Applicability of Blending in Creating Arabic
Terms

• With regard to the possibilities of blending in the

present state of the language it can be applicable
in the sphere of modern terminology. Some Arab
scholars see blending as a useful device that
should be employed not only in the field of
science and technology but also for the language
in general.
Conclusion

• As it transpires, the problem of terminology is compounded in

Arabic due to the lack of standardization which springs from
the different varieties of Arabic (classical Arabic, modern
standard Arabic, Arabic vernacular) because such varieties have
made the phonological connection between the foreign term and
its Arabic equivalent confused in newly-coined Arabic term. As
a result, the semantic connection is sometimes also lost as the
relationship between the foreign term to which Arabic speakers
are already exposed to and the newly-coined equivalent is not
readily obvious.
• It is obvious that derivation has played its role in dealing with
the creation of Arabic terms. This method is the most natural
and practical one in Arabic because the applicability of
derivation comes as a result of the recent technological
developments which have taken place in the Arab World. A
need has arisen for the transfer of technical concepts into Arabic
in many fields. However, derivation might be seen a less
attractive option owing to the lack of coordination among Arab
neologizers and academicians which has led to the abundance
synonymous terms.
• Arabicization has also has served Arabic as one of the most
practical method of creating Arabic neologisms and
terminology since the beginning of the nineteenth century when
the role of Arabic as a transmitter language began to decline.
Arabicization is more effective in handling new technical and
scientific terms than both derivation and blending. This is
because it can deal with a mono-morphemic word by applying
certain rules whereas in a compound morpheme it seems to be
difficult to apply the same rules. For instance, we cannot derive
an Arabic equivalent with a single word for the following terms:
inter-dialogue, sociolinguistics, intercontinental, centrifuge and
so forth. In addition, arabicization is more flexible and less
obstructed by the Arabic morphological patterns and templates.
• Blending can also play its role effectively in handling foreign
affixation and as a useful device for abbreviating long-winded
Arabic terms, but the Cairo based Arabic Academy have put
forward some restrictions to be followed during the process of
blending: firstly, it must be used only for scientific necessity
lilDarūrah al-Cilmiyah and secondly it must be coined according
to Arab taste al-dhawq al-Carabī.

• Nevertheless, the process of blending is less productive than the

other two methods due to the fact that it has not been described by
the Arab grammarians as a customary method of forming new
terms. Furthermore, there has been no direct statement by Arab
philologists as to the acceptability of blending as a productive
method of enriching the language with new terms.
References
• Methods of Creating and Introducing New Terms in Arabic
Contributions from English-Arabic Translation
• Aspects of Scientific Translation: English into Arabic

• Scientific Translation and Terminology

• Nature of Scientific and Technical Texts

• Translating technical terms into Arabic: Microsoft Terminology

Collection (English-Arabic)as an example