WTF does it mean? A contrastive and phenomenological inquiry into invective regarding translation and interpreting studies

Interpreters frequently resort to functional/pragmatic equivalence as a strategy when translating utterances containing invectives (e.g. swear words and insults). Existing research on the topic exposes that the concept of invective appears unclear, and the premises of functional/pragmatic equivalence regarding translating invectives have not been analysed in depth. Thus, the overarching goal of this article is twofold: to explore the concept of invective and to deepen the philosophical foundation of translation and interpreting studies. Research on translation strategies for invectives has been grounded in Austin’s theory of speech acts. Pointing out the overlapping aspects of phenomenology and Austin’s philosophy of language, this study aims to describe invective as a phenomenon with universal features, which may serve as a basis for equivalence strategy. Invariant features are distilled by applying the phenomenological eidetic method, which involves examining the phenomenon’s instantiations in Norwegian and Russian language contexts. This study posits that the discussion of the phenomenon of invective is inherently intertwined with that of concepts. Thus, it provides a novel approach to conceptual inquiry and readdresses the process of meaning construction in translating invectives. Ultimately, the phenomenological perspective on language and meaning provides a foundation for reconsidering the notion of equivalence in translation.