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Glossaries and Your Translation and Localization Projects

Have you considered how many different meanings your organization’s specific terminology, product names or company policies could potentially have when your material is translated or localized? It can be dizzying for those inside your organization and even more so for those you’re trying to communicate with outside your company! Translation and localization of your company’s material requires a translation team to decide on the definition of a variety of phrases or terms that communicate your message most effectively to a target audience. Creating a glossary for industry- or company-specific terms is crucial when communicating in other languages and your Language Service Provider can help your team get started.

First, let’s define what is meant by a glossary. Glossaries can contain lists of product names, descriptive qualities of your product or a list of terms specific to your industry. These lists are sometimes accompanied by their definitions in English or notes about how these terms are used in different types of documents. Next to the terms in the source language (in this case, English) are the same terms in another language (e.g. Spanish).

One of the main benefits of creating a glossary is the resulting consistent use of the same terms in every translation. Plus, translation teams are less likely to be confused by terms and to wonder which variation of a term’s meaning they should use. In a corporate translation, when a team knows they should use a specific term in German for “Research and Development Department,” every time the term comes up in your documents, the resulting communication across translations will be consistent and accurate.

Translation teams, consisting of a translator and proofreader, are often the experts who put together a glossary for a company or organization. Of course, it’s very helpful to have strong input from an in-country reviewer. These reviewers are usually bilingual experts in the industry who can help finalize the most accurate and appropriate terms to use. Reviewers associated with your company will also know which product names and product descriptions will project the intended message from a marketing and branding perspective. From a legal perspective, sometimes translated terms have to be used the same way each time in order to comply with international or domestic environmental regulations.

Your company and your translation agency should decide on a lead person to implement glossary changes and distribute new glossary revisions to translation teams and members of your team. This way, there is one person responsible for final decisions about updates and team members can direct questions or requests to one resource person.

As for the format of your glossary, these are usually easiest to use when they’re in table or spreadsheet form so that the terms and definitions in both languages are alphabetized and side-by-side. It’s also an option to incorporate the glossary into your translation memory so that translators can use the memory and the glossary simultaneously. Your translation agency can recommend the option that will be most conducive to future use in translations.


	viaLanguage Translation Articles Glossaries and Your Translation and Localization Projects Have you considered how many different meanings your organization’s specific terminology, product names or company policies could potentially have when your material is translated or localized? It can be dizzying for those inside your organization and even more so for those you’re trying to communicate with outside your company! Translation and localization of your company’s material requires a translation team to decide on the definition of a variety of phrases or terms that communicate your message most effectively to a target audience. Creating a glossary for industry- or company-specific terms is crucial when communicating in other languages and your Language Service Provider can help your team get started. First, let’s define what is meant by a glossary. Glossaries can contain lists of product names, descriptive qualities of your product or a list of terms specific to your industry. These lists are sometimes accompanied by their definitions in English or notes about how these terms are used in different types of documents. Next to the terms in the source language (in this case, English) are the same terms in another language (e.g. Spanish). One of the main benefits of creating a glossary is the resulting consistent use of the same terms in every translation. Plus, translation teams are less likely to be confused by terms and to wonder which variation of a term’s meaning they should use. In a corporate translation, when a team knows they should use a specific term in German for “Research and Development Department,” every time the term comes up in your documents, the resulting communication across translations will be consistent and accurate. Translation teams, consisting of a translator and proofreader, are often the experts who put together a glossary for a company or organization. Of course, it’s very helpful to have strong input from an in-country reviewer. These reviewers are usually bilingual experts in the industry who can help finalize the most accurate and appropriate terms to use. Reviewers associated with your company will also know which product names and product descriptions will project the intended message from a marketing and branding perspective. From a legal perspective, sometimes translated terms have to be used the same way each time in order to comply with international or domestic environmental regulations. Your company and your translation agency should decide on a lead person to implement glossary changes and distribute new glossary revisions to translation teams and members of your team. This way, there is one person responsible for final decisions about updates and team members can direct questions or requests to one resource person. As for the format of your glossary, these are usually easiest to use when they’re in table or spreadsheet form so that the terms and definitions in both languages are alphabetized and side-by-side. It’s also an option to incorporate the glossary into your translation memory so that translators can use the memory and the glossary simultaneously. Your translation agency can recommend the option that will be most conducive to future use in translations.