Baris Bilgen

Localization and terminometrics: Measuring the impact of user involvement on terminology

Crowd-sourcing and volunteer translation are becoming increasingly popular in the localization of websites and software. As in all activity involving translation, choices made in the localization process have consequences for the target language, especially when introducing new concepts through new technology. The localization of open-source software by volunteers presents an interesting phenomenon, since volunteer translators are presumably relatively free of corporate- or state-imposed language policies when making translation choices. In addition, most of their communication takes place on discussion forums, which provide linguistic evidence on the localization process. This study uses terminometric analysis to examine implantation rates of localized terms and assess possible correlations between term formation patterns and implantation rates. Higher implantation rates, for example, can reflect user preferences and thus open up several possibilities, such as considering the dissemination of new terminology through technology as a source of linguistic novelty that can increase the capacity of speakers of minority languages to define the modern world using their own language.

Baris Bilgen studied translation and interpreting in English, French and Turkish at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. In 2007, he moved to Canada and completed his MA in Translation at the University of Ottawa in 2009. After working in the video game localization industry in Montreal for two years, he started his PhD in Translation Studies in 2011. His doctoral research focusing on terminology localization in open-source software has been funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. His research interests include conference interpreting, localization, terminology and translation technologies.