Translation technique term and semantics

Abstract

This paper explores the nature of technical terms from a semantic standpoint, gleaning insight from both classical and cognitive models. It also discusses this topic’s relevance and application to the interpretation and translation of key biblical terms. Anyone who has spent time reading an academic book or article has encountered an unfamiliar word, or even more confusing, a familiar word that does not seem to mean what it would normally mean. An example of this comes from general and cognitive linguistics, fields relevant to this study. The literature frequently uses terms such as “frame,” “domain,” and “context.” These terms often vary from their more general definitions, from their definition in a related subfield of linguistics, and even from the definition given by another author in the same field. This is just one manifestation of the flexibility and sometimes frustration of language. Any person or social group can select a word and use it for their purposes, regardless of how others typically use it. The Bible is no exception to this phenomenon. The biblical authors used some words in technical or specialized ways, with the result that their meanings were in some way distinct from more general usages.