To ensure that your translations are of the highest levels of quality and meet the specific needs of your company, it’s often a good idea to use a glossary.
A glossary is a company’s list of standardized terms in the source language. It may also include definitions of those terms or company-approved translations for those terms.
Creating a glossary at the beginning of a translation is a helpful way to make sure that your company’s most important terms are translated accurately and consistently. It can also be useful on future translations, letting our linguists know how those words and phrases have been translated in the past.
A glossary is typically created by the client, but a language service provider can assist you in selecting terms for inclusion in the glossary or in determining the best translations for key terms.
A translation glossary often includes the following:
Key Terms: At its heart, a glossary is a list of the most important words, phrases, products, and services in your file. Are there concepts in your documents that are highly specific to the subject matter or to your company’s culture? A good glossary should be a thorough list of all such relevant items.
Definitions: A glossary should include definitions of these key terms so that our linguists understand each concept completely. This added context greatly reduces the chances of a term being misunderstood. Providing definitions results in the most accurate possible rendering of your text into the target language.
Preferred Translations: Your company may have preferred translations for certain terms in the glossary, and these should be shared with the translator. It is important that the client and the translators are on the same page regarding the preferred translations of important or frequently used phrases before the regular translation begins. This helps with the consistency of word choices in the translation, and it ensures that the concepts that matter most to you are translated the way you want them — the first time.
What Shouldn’t Be Translated: You may want to leave certain products, services, or proper names in the source language. Including such preferences in a glossary is the best way to make sure that only the phrases that you want translated get translated.
What’s New: A glossary is a living document, which you can keep building on over time. Adding new phrases to your glossary before each translation will help it reflect your company’s latest concepts and preferences.
Having a translation glossary can be an indispensable part of any company’s translation strategy. When used together with a style guide, it can make the in-country or in-house review process much quicker and simpler.
A good translation provider will help you at every step of the way, whether it’s with the initial creation of a glossary or deciding on standardized translations of key terms. That way, you can make sure that your translation says exactly what you want it to say.
