TRANSLATING ARCHIVES

Abstract

In this paper the authors submit some general considerations about the absolute need of a translation of the archival terminology, in order to obtain an unambiguous identification of the concepts daily used during the archival activities, and a perfect coinciding of meanings in the different languages. After a general introduction about the matter, a case study is presented, a case study regarding the Afrikaans language, underlining what a challenge it is to translate archival terminology into this “young” language. On the one hand, the opportunity constantly arising to create new appropriate terminology, on the other hand, the tendency and temptation to use English terminology as is. Many items are analyzed to serve as an example.