There are some reasons for borrowings

¨ The foreign words are borrowed along with new items or ideas, so, they do not have counterparts in TL (in Ukrainian: політика, спортсмен, футбол, тунель, пальто, університет, корабель, театр, курорт, бухгалтер).

¨ These words help us specify an idea of a subject (in Ukrainian ‘джем’ – from English ‘jam’ – means a special sort of ‘варення’; ‘десерт’ — the sweet, usually last course of a meal; ‘госпіталь’ — medical institution for servicemen – from Latin hospitālis.

 

Therefore attempts to substitute these words with ‘true Ukrainian’ equivalents were unsuccessful:

¨ очник — instead of окуліст

¨ повитуха, баба-пупорізка — instead of акушерка

¨ дрібноживцезнавець — instead of мікробіолог

¨ вухоносогорлянкознавець — instead of отоларинголог

¨ гоп'як — instead of пульс

¨ хробаковиця, хробакозапал — instead of апендицит

¨ горлянковиця — instead of ларингіт

Translation of the words with deep emotional connotations.

For example, Ukrainian word «журба» is difficult to translate into English with one word: sadness, sorrow, grief, melancholy are not adequate translation; suggested translation may consists of more than one word: silent sorrow or thoughtful grief.

In one article about Africa is written:

En Côte d'Ivoire existait une bourgeoisie de planteurs ou de transporteurs étroitement liée à la chefferie traditionnelle, de nombreux riches planteurs étant anciens chefs de canton.

The question is: how to translate the word chefferie?

In the dictionary we can find two definitions:

1) військово-інженерний округ, район;

2) функції вождя (племені); рада вождів.

The correct translation will be institution of the canton chiefs.

 

False equivalent is a word in TL which coincides fully or partly in phonetic or graphic form with its counterpart in SL, but differs from it in meaning (in spite of having the common etymology).

For example, the word ‘artist’:

¨ In English (artist), French (artiste) and Spanish (artista) it means ‘a man of art’;

¨ In German (Artist) – ‘a variety or circus actor’;

¨ In Ukrainian (артист) – ‘an actor of theatre, cinema or circus’.

‘Academy’ in English:

1) an institution or society for the advancement of literature, art, or science;

2) a school for training in a particular skill or profession a military academy;

3) a secondary school: now used only as part of a name, and often denoting a private school;

In Ukrainian:

1. an educational institution of the highest level;

2. a highest level scientific institution.

In English ‘academic’ (noun) means:

a member of a college or university

In Ukrainian: a member of a highest level scientific institution

In English ‘ignorance’ is:

lack of knowledge, information, or education; the state of being ignorant

In Ukrainian: neglect, disregard

 

English ‘pathetic’ means:

1) evoking or expressing pity, sympathy, etc.;

2) distressingly inadequate (from Greek πάθος – ‘suffering’, ‘grief’).

Ukrainian ‘патетичний’ is ‘elated’, ‘elevated’.

So, the translation of the sentence ‘He is pathetic!’ as «Патетична особистість!» is incorrect, but rather «Який він бідолашний!» або «Нещасний він!»

 

Similarly the English word of the Greek origin ‘sympathetic’ (συμπαθέω – ‘compassionate’) means:

1) characterized by, feeling, or showing sympathy; understanding;

2) in accord with the subject's personality or mood;

3) showing agreement (with) or favour (towards).

In Ukrainian it means: nice, attractive.

sympathetic strike —страйк солідарності (але ніяк не «симпатичний страйк»

sympathetic audience – прихильна аудиторія (але не «симпатична аудиторія»

 

In English the word ‘dramaturge’ and in German ‘Dramaturg’ means

‘a literary adviser on the staff of a theatre, film corporation, etc., whose responsibilities may include selection and editing of texts, liaison with authors, preparation of printed programmes, and public relations work’;

So, this word cannot be translated into Ukrainian as «драматург», but as «режисер» (for the Ukrainian «драматург» in English the words ‘dramatist’ and ‘playwright’ may be used).

 

In the following case translation the German word ‘Dramaturg’ as «драматург» in Ukrainian would throw a reader into confusion:

„Nun, einer der Dramaturgen dieses Volkstheaters war vor Jahren auf den Gedariken gekommen, die Gretchen-Tragödie aus dem „Faust" herauszuschälen und zur Aufführung zu bringen”

It was impossible that ‘Volkstheater’ (‘amateur theatre’) had its own playwright!

 

Translation of the Ukrainian word ‘луна’ into Russian with the same word would be really ridiculous:

Пішла луна гаєм (Тарас Шевченко, I, 1951, 6)

Ого-го-го-го-о!.. Луна пішла тайгою (Олександр Довженко, I, 1958, 124)

В країну смутку вітерець прилине

І принесе мені луну розмови (Леся Українка, I, 1951, 97)