Navigating the jargon of the localization business can sometimes feel like making sense of a bad hand in Scrabble. Industry-specific terms mixed with regular software lingo result in a language that can get intimidating for newcomers.
We compiled a list of commonly used terms that you’re likely to come across when discussing localization projects - sorry, l10n projects - so you can make sure you don’t skip a beat.
- CAT Tool (Computer-Assisted Translation Tool): Software that assists human translators in the translation/localization process by providing features such as string management, translation memory, terminology management, and consistency checks. Sadly, no actual cats are bundled with the software. 😿
- GILT (Globalization, Internationalization, Localization, and Translation): An acronym encompassing various processes involved in making products and services adaptable and accessible to different cultures and languages.
- TM (Translation Memory): A database of previously translated content, to reuse or compare translations for similar or identical phrases in future projects.
- T9n (Translation): Adapting content word-for-word in another language. 9 is for the 9 letters being omitted between T and N, like with the others below.
- L10n (Localization): Adapting content in another language while making necessary adjustments to adhere to a different cultural context and the specificities of the target language.
- I18n (Internationalization): The design and development process that enables a product to be easily localized later, without the need for major retroactive changes.
- LSP (Language Service Provider): A company or organization that offers language-related services, such as translation, localization, interpreting or language consulting.
- [L]QA ([Linguistic] Quality Assurance): The process of ensuring that the translated content meets specified quality standards, including linguistic accuracy, consistency, and adherence to style guides.
- MT (Machine Translation): The automated process of translating text or speech from one language to another using computer algorithms, often with the assistance of neural networks.
- GUI (Graphical User Interface): The visual interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices or software applications through graphical elements such as icons, buttons, and menus, as opposed to text-based interfaces.
- TMS (Translation Management System): A software system designed to streamline and manage the translation process, including tasks such as project organization, collaboration, workflow automation, and translation memory management.
- XLIFF (XML Localization Interchange File Format): An XML-based standard for the interchange of localization data between different tools and systems. But what is XML, you ask? Well…
- XML (eXtensible Markup Language): A markup language that defines rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable.
- RTL (Right-to-Left): Refers to languages and scripts that are written and read from right to left, such as Arabic and Hebrew. Opposed to, you guessed it, LTR.
- MTPE (Machine Translation Post-Editing): The human process of refining machine-generated translations. When done right, helps translators skip straightforward terms and focus on creative l10n.
- FIGS/CJK: Acronyms representing specific language groups - FIGS (French, Italian, German, Spanish) and CJK (Chinese, Japanese, Korean). They’re grouped this way because they are by far the most requested for their respective continent.
- API (Application Programming Interface): A set of functions allowing different software applications to communicate with each other. That’s how MagnaPlay can import GitHub projects or send notifications in Slack!
- DNT (Do Not Translate): Instruction to exclude specific content or segments from the translation process.
- POC (Point of Clarification): Requests translators can send to devs or publishers through the MagnaPlay platform, allowing for easy communication of additional context or explanations.
- Live Ops (Live Operations): Ongoing, real-time management and updates of localized content or services in a live environment. Most common with MMOs that require a steady flow of new content.
- Fuzzy Matching: An automated matching technique in localization that identifies and aligns similar but not identical source and target language segments.
- Strings: Individual lines or units of text that make up the game’s content. Each string is identified by a unique String ID.
- Markup/Tags: Units of code embedded within content to provide formatting instructions, often requiring careful handling during translation to maintain structure. Usually marked DNT.
- Smart Chunking: Intelligent segmentation of text for translation, distributing tasks in an optimized way relative to context and similarities between strings.
- Transcreation: Adapting content not just linguistically but creatively, ensuring it resonates culturally and emotionally with the target audience.
- Concordance Search: Searching and identifying instances of specific terms or phrases in a translation memory or corpus to maintain consistency.
- Language Code/Locale: Standardized codes to identify a specific language. Language codes only indicate a language family, while locale ties it to a specific territory. Example: EN is a language code (English), EN-AU is a locale (Australian English).
- Language Pair: The combination of source and target languages in a translation project. Language codes or locales are sometimes used. Example: EN > FR (English into French).
- In-Context Translation: Translating content within its original layout or design to consider visual context and user experience.
- Glossary: A project-specific list of useful terms whose translation consistency matters to the overall coherence of the product. Often comes with brief definitions.
- Termbase (Terminology Database): A database that stores and manages a collection of terms and their corresponding translations, as well as comments and specific rules, ensuring exactitude and consistency.
- Style Guide: A set of guidelines detailing preferred writing and presentation conventions to maintain consistency in translated content.