Translation of Neologisms of the Two Palestinian Intifadas: the First (1987-1993) and the Second (2000-2005)

The study examines the translation of neologisms in the two Palestinian Intifadas to see how translators deal with them. It highlights the mistranslations and the translation problems caused by cultural, political  and linguistic differences. It categorizes these neologisms according to the standpoint of their formation and the criteria of use and of translational occurrences in English and other sources, especially Hebrew. By evaluating the correctness and the effectiveness of the neological translations, it attempts to provide some appropriate renditions for some neologisms. Furthermore, the study refers to the strategies used by translators in dealing with these culture-bound neologisms. The findings of the analysis of neologisms in translation point to the importance for translators to have the background information about the subject matter of Intifada neologisms to help them understand the concepts embodied therein, and so render the messages properly. The findings, also, show the following: 1.Achieving a translational equivalent of an Intifada neologism without considering its contextual use is not an easy task. 2.Translators often fail to convey all the nuances and the subtleties of Intifada neologisms being unaware of the cultural implications and differences between Palestinian Arabic and English. 3.Culture can not be excluded in translation because language is part of culture. 4.The dictionary is not the only source to resort to in dealing with the meanings of such neological expressions. 5.Some additions are needed to compensate the missing information in the translations so that the original meaning can be retained. The study consists of four chapters. Chapter One introduces the topic and the importance of culture in translation, the purpose, significance, limitations and methodology of the study, and statement of the problem. Chapter Two provides definitions of the concept of neologisms and reviews some related literature on the subject. Chapter Three presents an analysis of the translational occurrences of these neologisms as they appear in English sources. It also touches upon their referential and contextual meanings with focus on their instable semantic features. Finally, Chapter Four provides conclusions and recommendations for further research.