The spelling of "Metaphrase" can be explained using IPA phonetic transcription. The first syllable is "mɛt-", with the "ɛ" representing the short "e" sound. The second syllable is "-ə-freɪz", with the "ə" being the schwa sound and "-freɪz" pronounced as "frayz". Metaphrase is a term used in translation to refer to a literal word-for-word translation. This term is derived from the Greek word "metaphrasis," which means "to translate word-for-word."
Metaphrase is a term that is typically used in the field of translation to describe a particular method or approach to translating texts from one language to another. It refers specifically to a form of translation where the meaning of a source text is rendered into a target language in a word-for-word manner, focusing on preserving the exact lexical and grammatical structure of the original language as closely as possible.
In metaphrase, the emphasis is on fidelity and literalness, seeking to maintain a close similarity between the source text and the translated version. This method attempts to capture the original author's precise choice of words, sentence structure, and syntactic elements. The goal is to create a translation that mimics the form and structure of the source language instead of adapting it to the conventions and idiom of the target language.
Metaphrase is often contrasted with another translation strategy known as paraphrase, where the translator freely renders the meaning of the source text using different words, sentence structures, and levels of formality in the target language. While metaphrase prioritizes faithfulness to the source text, paraphrase aims to convey the essence and meaning in a more natural and idiomatic way in the target language.
Overall, metaphrase is a translation method that focuses on maintaining the original structure and lexical choices of the source text, aiming to provide a linguistic replication of the original work.
A verbal or literal translation of a language.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
The word "metaphrase" can be traced back to the Greek language. It is derived from the Greek word "metaphrasis", which itself comes from the combination of two words: "meta" meaning "after" or "beyond", and "phrasis" meaning "speech" or "expression". Therefore, "metaphrase" essentially means "beyond, after, or across expression" in Greek. It was originally used in the field of translation, referring to a kind of translation in which the meaning or content of a text is maintained while the words and structures are adapted to fit the target language.