Challenges and Complexities in Translating Kiswahili Cultural Expressions: A Comparative Analysis and Practical Solutions
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This study examines the challenges and complexities involved in translating Kiswahili cultural concepts into other languages, by focusing on practical solutions to address these issues. Kiswahiliis deeply interwoven with cultural nuances that often defy straightforward translation. Translators face the dual challenge of bridging linguistic differences and reconciling divergent worldviews, social norms, and historical contexts. Through a comparative analysis of Kiswahili cultural expressions and their translations, this study investigates categories such as idioms, humours, sarcasm, ironies, greetings, social practices, and political expressions. The analysis highlights the limitations of literal translation, risks of cultural misrepresentation, and the strategies employed to achieve semantic and cultural equivalence, including borrowing, calque, descriptive translation, and cultural adaptation. This paper advocates for nuanced translation approaches that transcend linguistic conversion to preserve the cultural integrity of the source text through cultural sensitivity. By proposing practical solutions to these translation challenges, this research contributes to enhancing cross-cultural communication and underscores the vital role of cultural competence in translation practises.
Authors: Anastase Niyonsaba, Japhael Mgoma Jambo, Shadrack Igunza Onzere, Mikalano Lopez, Pamphile Bigirindavyi
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6930982734
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