The structural and semantic types of modern abbreviations

in the military sphere : Linguistic and translation aspect

Done by: Lesia Boroday

Academic supervisor: Professor Yemets O.V.

The topicality of the report consists in the importance of abbreviations and their
understanding because of the Russian aggression and American military assistance to
Ukraine, the need to develop a systematic approach to the translation into Ukrainian of
English-language texts of military documentation, including documents of UN and NATO
peacekeeping missions, which is still a relevant research in Ukrainian translation studies. The
war in Ukraine, the flow of international military partner assistance, and the involvement of
Ukrainian military specialists in international peacekeeping activities and training require
high standards of their language training and the ability to work with documents prepared in
accordance with UN and NATO standards.
Object of the research is military abbreviations.
Subject of the research is structural and semantic types of abbreviations and shortenings in
the military field, and ways of transferring into the target language.
• The aim of the study is to establish adequate ways of reproducing abbreviations in the process of
translating into Ukrainian.
• The aim involves solving the following objectives:
• - to study the ways of formation and development of military abbreviations as a type of military
vocabulary in English and Ukrainian;
• - to define the concepts of "abbreviation" and "acronym"
• - to describe the semantic types of military abbreviations;
• - to determine the most productive models of abbreviations as a way of word formation;
• - to propose adequate methods of translating military abbreviations.
 Research methods

• comparative analysis of the originals and their translations, (classification of military

documentation and generalization of the collected material),
• the method of dictionary definitions,
• linguistic and contextual analyses.
• The material of the study is contemporary English-language articles on military and political
topics and military documents.
• The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the main ways of creating and forming
military shortenings are singled out and, accordingly, new ways of its translation have been
proposed.
• The practical significance of the work is that the obtained results can be used in teaching
lexicology and stylistics of the English and Ukrainian languages; speech culture and translation
ethics, as well as special courses on military translation, special seminars on the theory and
practices of translation, when writing course and master's theses, textbooks and manuals on the
practice and theory of translation.
• Structure of work. The work consists of an Introduction, two Chapters, General Conclusions, a
List of References and Appendices.
 Linguists who have studied military abbreviations

Karaban Vjacheslav
Yuriy Zatsnyi Pavliuk Viktoriya Semynihivska
Tetiana
 Types of word-formation

Suffixation(weakness, careful)

Preffixation ( betray, befall, incoming) Conversion (hand-to hand, face-to face)

Infixation (stood- Blending(telescoping)

(new+utopia-neutopia, smog- Composition
stand) sm(oke)+f(og) ( compounding) (aircraft, skid-lid)
 Types of shortening

Apocope (final clipping): limo-limousine ,Corp-Corporation

Aphaeresis ( initial clipping):copter-helicopter

Syncope (medial clipping): fantasy – fancy

• An abbreviation usually refers to the process and result of creating a word from the
first letters or syllables of the components of a phrase or compound word.
• Abbreviations are divided into different types, such as acronyms, initialisms and
shortenings.
 The difference between abbreviation, acronym and
initialism

Abbreviation Acronym

Abbreviations are compound words

formed from the first letters of each An acronym is a word formed from the
word or other parts of words. These first letter or letters of a compound word
components are usually part of a name or phrase and is pronounced as one word.
or a notion.

Initialism

Initialisms are abbreviated words that

are derived from the first letters and
each letter is pronounced separately .
 Ways of translating abbreviations

Translation with the corresponding form (PC-personal Full form translation (ESRO-European Space Research
computer) Organization)

Transliteration, transcribing
Transcoding (EAGLE (elevation angle guidance (HIMARS(High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) −
equipment) хаймарс, високо мобільна артилерійська ракетна
система)
 Classification of abbreviations according to
structure:

Initial abbreviations
alphabetisms(MLRS – Multiple Launch Rocket System)
acronyms (JATO – Jet-assisted take off)

sound-letter abbreviations (FRAGO – Fragment of an Order)

letter-sound abbreviations (JDAM – Joint Direct Attack Monition)

Syllabic abbreviations(recon, reconnaissance)

latin abrreviations (a.m.- ante meridiem- before midday, in the morning)
 Types of abbreviations according to semantic

• Names of military groups ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence)

• Names of military organizations Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)
• Names of military positions PFC (Private First Class)
• Names of military or technical documents (technical description, special design of materials or
machines and devices) ACCE (Abrams Crusade Common Engine)
• Names of military equipment MRBM (Medium-range ballistic missile)
 Translation of military abbreviations in names of
military units and organizations

• These include the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe, as well as other institutions such as EUROCONTROL and the International Committee of the Red
Cross.
• Це такі структури, як Організація Об’єднаних Націй, Європейський союз, Організація з безпеки та
співробітництва в Європі, а також інші установи, такі як ЄВРОКОНТРОЛЬ та Міжнародний
комітет Червоного хреста. (transcoding)
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyi enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine
to impose and amend personal sanctions against 185 individuals and 181 companies.
• Президент Володимир Зеленський увів у дію рішення Ради національної безпеки і оборони України про
застосування та внесення змін до персональних санкцій проти 185 фізичних осіб і 181 компанії.
(equivalent translation)

• More than 100 people commemorated ANZAC day at the World War II cemetery in the area of the buffer zone
known as “Wayne’s Keep” in the early morning of 25 April.
• Більше 100 чоловік вшанували День пам’яті вояків "АНЗАКу" – корпусу австралійських та
новозеландських сил (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps / ANZAC), вранці 25 квітня на кладовищі
загиблих у Другій світовій війні воїнів, яке розташоване у районі буферної зони і відоме як "Вейнс
Кіп"("Wayne's Keep"). (full form translation)
• In 2018, Caterpillar was ranked number 73 on the Fortune 500 list and number 265 on the
Global Fortune 500 list . (explication)
• У 2018 році компанія Катерпіллар (американська компанія, що виробляє шляхобудівні
машини та дизельні двигуни) посіла 73 місце у списку Fortune 500 та 265 місце у списку
Global Fortune 500.
• Air Mobility Command (AMC) also has the mission of establishing bare air bases in
contingencies. (addition)
• Транспортне командування повітряних сил США також має місію створення баз у
відкритому повітрі в надзвичайних ситуаціях.
 Translation of military abbreviations in names of
weapons

• UAVs of various types are integral parts of the United States airpower arsenal.
БПЛА(безпілотні літальні апарати)різних типів є невід'ємною частиною арсеналу
військово-повітряних сил США . (transcoding and full equivalent translation)
• If you thought FORTRAN and Cold War-era assembly language programming is pointless and
purely for old-timers, guess again. NASA has found an engineer comfortable with the software to
keep its old space-race-age systems ticking over.
• Якщо ви думали, що програмування на Фортран та асемблері часів холодної війни є
безглуздим і суто для старожилів, подумайте ще раз. NASA знайшло інженера, який добре
володіє програмним забезпеченням, щоб підтримувати роботу старих космічних систем.
(explication)
• In southern Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia was attacked by a number of Iskander-M / S – 300
ballistic missiles.
• Крім того, уночі росіяни завдали удару балістикою по Запоріжжю – ракетами
"Іскандер-М"/С-300. (concretization)

• Anti-tank teams hiding in tree lines along the fields, and armed with American infrared-
guided Javelins and Ukrainian laser-guided Stugna-P missiles, powered up their weapons.
• Протитанкові команди, що ховалися в лісосмугах уздовж полів, озброєні
американськими "Джавелінами" з інфрачервоним наведенням та українськими
ракетами "Стугна-П" з лазерним наведенням, увімкнули свою зброю. (generalization)
 Using of abbreviations in texts of military humor

• A girl wishing to enlist in the WAC as a radio operator was asked: "Do you know Morse? "
• She replied: " No, but I'd like to meet him.“
• Дівчину, яка хотіла вступити до ВАК (жіночого корпусу армії в США) радисткою,
запитали: "Чи знаєш ти азбуку Морзе?".
• "Got a new grade, John? " his buddy asked. "Yes, I’m a PFC now," was the proud reply. "Pushing
for corporal, eh? "
• "Отримав нове звання, Джоне? " - запитав його приятель. "Так, я тепер рядовий першого
класу", - гордо відповів той. "Домагаєшся капрала, так?"
 Analysis of main semantic and structural types of
abbreviations
Main semantic types Main structural types

Names of military units and ranks (40%) Initialisms (50%)

Names of weapons (30%) Acronyms (45%)

Names of military ranks (15%)

 Main ways of translating abbreviations

Transcoding and translation into full abbreviated SEATO(South East Asia Treaty Organization) –
form СЕАТО(Організація країн південно-східної Азії).

Translation by an appropriate equivalent PLA (People’s Liberation Army) − Народно-визвольна

армія Китаю (НВАК).

Deletion (omission) and explication SALT(Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) − СОЛТ

(договір про обмеження стратегічного озброєння).
Addition AMC
(Air Mobility Command) – Транспортне командування
повітряних сил США.
 Conclusion

• It may be concluded that the most common is descriptive translation (explication). Explication is
the most common, since this technique provides translation of any abbreviation, even those that
have no equivalent in the target language.
• The most common types and ways of translating abbreviations are considered. The process of
creating abbreviations is a means of language economy, which is due to the constant growth of
the volume of language units. The use of abbreviations ensures that the maximum amount of
information is conveyed with minimal use of language resources.
Thank you for your attention!