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"A" language Native language or a foreign language spoken with native proficiency from which an interpreter can render all modes of interpretation.

"B" language Foreign language from which an interpreter can render interpretation.

16-bit Unicode transformation format Variable-length character encoding form that can represent Unicode or ISO characters in a 16-bit series suitable for storage or transmission in data networks. Commonly abbreviated UTF-16.

32-bit Unicode transformation format Fixed-length, four-byte method for encoding Unicode characters. Commonly abbreviated UTF-32.

8-bit Unicode transformation format Variable-length character encoding form that can represent any character from almost all the languages in the world. Commonly abbreviated UTF-8.

Accent mark Small symbol placed above or near a letter, usually to distinguish its pronunciation from a similar word.

Accreditation Formal process by which the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities of an individual – such as a translator or interpreter – or an organization – such as an LSP – are evaluated.

Accredited translator A translator who has successfully met the requirements for accreditation.

Active language Language into which an interpreter renders interpretation.

Ad hoc interpreter Person who provides interpretation services on an irregular basis, usually without the benefit of any formal training or professional preparation.

Adaptation Process of converting information into an appropriate format for the target language and culture.

Advocacy Practice by which an interpreter acts on behalf of either of the parties for which he or she renders interpretation. This practice is encouraged by some and discouraged by others.

Agglutinating language Language in which, through agglutination, a single word can constitute a complete sentence, sometimes resulting in units of measure other than price per word (such as price per line, per character or per page) for calculating translation costs.

Agglutination Process of adding one or more affixes to a word or combining components of words into a single word, often conveying complex ideas.

Alignment Process of matching segments of text with their translated renditions, creating equivalents between a source text and target text.

Alignment tool Application that automatically pairs versions of same text in the source and target languages in a table. Also called bi-text tool.

Ambiguity Situation in which the intended meaning of a phrase is unclear and must be verified – usually with the source text author – in order for translation to proceed.

Anglophone Person who speaks English.

Apache Open source web server supported by the Apache Software Foundation.

API Acronym for application programming interface.

Apostille Official attachment or stamp sometimes applied to translations of public and private documents as proof of authenticity for countries that have signed the Hague Convention on Documents.

Application programming interface Set of specified procedures or functions provided by a service or operating system to computer programs’ requests for support. Commonly abbreviated as API.

AQ Abbreviation for availability quotient.

Arabic Eastern numerals See Eastern Arabic numerals.

Arabic numerals Set of ten numerals (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9) that comprise the most commonly used symbolic representation of numbers throughout the world.

Artificial intelligence Branch of computer science devoted to creating intelligent machines that produced the first efforts toward machine translation.

Artificial language Language used by machines.

Authoring Process of producing textual content.

Automated publishing Computerized production of content and presentation.

Automated translation Synonym for machine translation.

Automatic recognition Method that automates the translation of terms through the use of an electronic dictionary and computer-assisted translation software, proposing target language equivalents and facilitating consistency of terminology and style.

Automatic translation Synonym for machine translation.

Availability quotient Metric that objectively ranks what percentage of the total online population can access each level of experience on any given site. Commonly abbreviated AQ.

Back translation Process of translating a previously translated text back into its source language.

BIDI Abbreviation for bidirectionality.

Bidirectional Script that normally reads from right to left but contains some exceptions in which other characters, like numerals, read from left to right. Hebrew and Arabic are examples of bidirectional languages.

Bidirectional interpretation Interpretation that takes place in both directions. For example, spoken language is rendered from English into Japanese, and from Japanese into English.

Bidirectionality Quality or characteristic in a software program or application that facilitates work on bidirectional text. Commonly abbreviated BIDI.

Bidule Portable equipment used for providing simultaneous interpretation with only a microphone and sometimes headphones instead of a sound isolation booth.

Big-5 Method of character encoding used in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan for Traditional Chinese characters.

Bilingual Person who speaks at least one language fluently and exhibits near-native proficiency or fluency in the second.

Bilingual corpus See bi-text database.

Bi-text Document consisting of versions of a particular text in both the source and target languages.

Bi-text database Collection of bi-texts. Also called bilingual corpus.

Bi-text tool See alignment tool.

Bitmap Grid of pixels with individual color values.

BRIC Abbreviation for Brazil, Russia, India, and China, the four countries with economies expected to surpass the richest countries in the world by the year 2050. This term was first used in a thesis by Goldman Sachs investment bank.

Browse CEL Customer experience level in which a visitor learns about a category, options, and benefits.

Buy CEL Customer experience level in which a visitor completes a financial or equivalent contractual transaction.

C2JK Abbreviation for the four most commonly requested Asian languages for translation projects: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Also called CJK and KCCJ.

CAI Abbreviation for computer-assisted interpretation.

Captioning Text-based versions of dialogue in films and television programs in the same language or another language, most commonly displayed at the bottom of the screen.

CAT Abbreviation for computer-assisted translation.

CAT tools See computer-assisted translation software.

CCJK Abbreviation for the four most commonly requested Asian languages for translation projects: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Also called CJK and KCCJ

CEL Abbreviation for customer experience level.

Certification Process by which the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities of an individual – such as a translator or interpreter – or an organization – such as an LSP – are evaluated. 2. Statement from a translator regarding his or her qualification

Certified interpreter Interpreter who has successfully met the requirements of a certification process.

Certified translation Translation that is accompanied by a statement from the language service provider, and/or translator or a third party individual or authority attesting to the accuracy of the translation.

Chance interpreter Person who provides interpretation services on an irregular basis, usually without the benefit of any formal training or professional preparation.

Character encoding Character encoding. Mapping from a character set definition to the actual code units used to represent the data.

Character set Collection of symbols or characters that correspond to textual information in a language or language group.

Chuchotage Delivery method for simultaneous interpretation in which the interpreter sits behind the listener, simultaneously interpreting while the speaker talks and whispering the rendition into the listener’s ear.

Chunk Smallest unit of content in a content management system.

CJK See C2JK.

CJKV Acronym for Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Coarse-grained TM Translation memory based on large clause- or sentence-based segments.

Code page Character set that assigns code point value or numeric value to each character.

Cognates Words that share a common origin.

Collaborative translation Emerging approach to translation in which companies use the elements of crowdsourcing in a controlled environment for working on large corporate projects in short periods of time.

Collation sequence Order of a character set that can be represented on a computer.

Collocation Group of words that work together to express a single concept, object, or action.

Colophon Description, logo, or note at the end of a text.

Community interpreting Interpretation provided in social and public services settings.

Computational linguistics Study of processing natural languages through information technology.

Computer-aided translation See computer-assisted translation.

Computer-assisted interpretation Process by which a human interpreter uses computer software to facilitate interpretation. Commonly abbreviated CAI.

Computer-assisted translation Process by which a human translator uses computer software to facilitate translation. Commonly abbreviated CAT.

Computer-assisted translation software Also called CAT tools.

Concatenation Procedure of linking multiple files or messages together as a single document, often to facilitate processes such as search and replacement, term list extraction, collocation finding, and repetition rate establishment.

Concordance Process through which a computer-assisted translation software program compiles a list of contexts for terms in order to define the term and its equivalent in the target language more precisely.

Conference interpreting Interpretation provided in conference settings.

Consecutive interpretation Process through which an interpreter orally conveys a speaker’s words into another language after the speaker completes an utterance, usually relying on memory and note-taking, or though voice-silencing technology, which allows the interpreter to record

Consistency Measure of how often a term or phrase is rendered the same way into the target language.

Content delivery application Program that uses and compiles information to update a web site.

Content management system Tool that stores, organizes, maintains, and retrieves data.

Context Information outside of the actual text that is essential for complete comprehension.

Controlled language Language in which grammar, vocabulary and syntax are restricted in order to reduce ambiguity and complexity and to make the source language easier to understand by native and non-native speakers and easier to translate with machine and human translation.

Controlled vocabulary Standardized terms and phrases that constitute a system’s vocabulary.

Corpus Compilation of texts that is helpful for collecting data, conducting research, and analyzing natural language text.

Country code Abbreviation of two or three characters to signify a country or dependent area. ISO 3166 specifies country codes, such as “AL” for Albania and “CZ” for the Czech Republic. There are also country codes for telephone numbers, such as +1 for the U.S. and Can

Court interpreting Interpretation that takes place in court settings.

Creole Language that develops when speakers of different languages remain in ongoing and persistent contact with one another, usually with one language group characterized by having greater political or economic power than another.

CT3 Abbreviation for community, crowdsourced, and collaborative translation.

Cultural adaptation Adjustment of a translation to conform with the target culture.

Cultural assessment Examination of an individual’s or group’s cultural preferences through comparative analyses.

Cultural brokering Practice by which an interpreter provides cultural information in order to help the listener gain a better understanding of the speaker's intended meaning.

Cultural competence Ability of an individual or organization to work effectively with individuals or groups with diverse cultural backgrounds.

Cultural sorting Organization of a text in an order typical for a certain culture, such as alphabetical order in the United States and character stroke order in China.

Culturally-sensitive translation Translation that takes into account cultural differences.

Customer experience level Level that describes the experience of a web site visitor. Commonly abbreviated CEL.

DBE Abbreviation for double-byte enabled.

Desktop publishing Applications like FrameMaker, PageMaker, and QuarkXPress to prepare documentation for publication.

Diacritical mark Symbol that signifies an alteration to the character around which it is placed, such as the apostrophe [‘] and circumflex [^].

Diacritical weight Relative value of a diacritical mark in a collation sequence.

Dialect Variety of a language spoken by members of a particular locale and characterized by a unique vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation.

Diaspora A dispersion of people, language or culture from its original homeland.

Dipthong Speech sound that shifts vowel tones within one syllable. Examples include the words “low” (English), “oui” (French), and “muita” (Portuguese).

Direct speech interpretation Practice by which the speaker's utterances are rendered into the target language directly, without changing pronouns or prefacing renditions with the words, "he said," or "she said."  A direct speech interpretation of the w

Disambiguation Process of cleaning up a text in order to eliminate ambiguities to make translation more accurate.

Distortion Alteration from the original source.

DITA XML-based architecture for authoring, producing and delivering technical information.

D-M18N Abbreviation for domestic multiculturalization.

DNT Abbreviation for do not translate.

Do not translate List of phrases and words such as brand names and trademarks that do not require translation. Commonly abbreviated DNT.

Document type definition Description of how content should be structured, providing rules for tags and characteristics, to enable programs to more easily process and store the document. Commonly abbreviated DTD.

Domain Area of knowledge that is communicated within a text, translation, or corpus.

Domestic multiculturalization Multiculturalization that takes place within a country's borders. Commonly abbreviated D-M18N.

Dominant language 1. Language in which a person primarily communicates, usually his or her native language. 2. Language spoken by those who hold political and/or economic power.

Double-byte character set Character set that enables representation of double-byte languages.

Double-byte enabled Quality of an application or program that supports double-byte languages. Commonly abbreviated DBE.

Double-byte language Language – such as Chinese, Korean, and Japanese – that requires two bytes (16 bits) to represent each character precisely.

DTD Abbreviation for document type definition.

DTP Abbreviation for desktop publishing.

Dubbing Recording or replacement of voices commonly used in motion pictures and videos for which the recorded voices do not belong to the original actors or speakers and are in a different language.

Dynamic content Data produced in response to changeable, unfixed and retrieved from a database through user requests.

Eastern Arabic numerals Set of symbols used to represent numbers in combination with the Arabic alphabet in various countries, including Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, and parts of India. Also called Arabic Eastern Numerals.

Editing Second level of review in the traditional TEP process.

Encoding scheme System that assigns a numeric value to each character, in order to convert the character set to an automated form for transmitting and maintaining information.

Enter CEL Customer experience level in which a visitor arrives at a site and establishes interest or leaves.

Escort interpreting Interpretation that takes place for a person or delegation, for casual and/or professional communications.

Ethnic marketing Marketing that is designed to reach a specific linguistic or cultural group, usually a minority group.

Exact match Indication that a unit of text is 100% identical to a previously translated unit within a translation memory.

Example-based machine translation Form of machine translation that uses previously translated texts to produce a new translation, rather than creating a new translation from an actual translation and analysis of the source text.

Extended characters Characters that exceed the ASCII character range of seven bits, such as characters with diacritical marks or non-Roman characters.

eXtensible markup language Metadata language used to describe other markup languages. Commonly abbreviated XML.

Extreme globalization Globalization projects that involve immense scalability, huge complexity, the use of XML-based and web services, extraordinary organizational efforts, and the need for massive amounts of translation and localization leverage.

F2F Abbreviation for face-to-face interpretation.

Face cognates Words that are thought to share a common origin but actually do not. For example, the words “embarrassed” and “embarazada” (Spanish for “pregnant”).

Face-to-face interpretation Spoken language conversion by a human interpreter in the same location as the two parties who wish to communicate. Commonly abbreviated F2F.

False friends See false cognates.

FAQT Abbreviation for fully automated quality translation.

Faux amis See false cognates.

Federal court interpreter Interpreter who has obtained certification that permits him or her to interpret during U.S. federal court proceedings.

FIGS Abbreviation for French, Italian, German, and Spanish.

Fine-grained TM Translation memory based on word- or syntagm-level segments.

First language Language a person learns first in life.

First person interpretation Practice by which the speaker's utterances are rendered into the target language directly, without changing pronouns or prefacing renditions with the words, "he said," or "she said."  A first person interpretation of the words

Fixed booth Area built into a meeting room from which interpreters can perform simultaneous interpretation.

Foreign language Language that is not one’s native language.

Freelance translator Translator who works as a freelancer.

Freelancer Individual who is self-employed and works for multiple companies on a per-project or contractual basis.

Full match See exact match.

Fully automated quality translation Machine translation output with no human post-processing or editing, but suitable as a replacement for human translation. This type of MT is the ultimate goal of technologists. Commonly abbreviated FAQT.

Fully automated useful translation Machine translation output with no human intervention, but typically with a lower bar for quality than fully automated quality translation. Commonly abbreviated FAUT.

Functional quality assurance See functional testing.

Functional testing Reviewing software applications and programs to ensure that the localization process does not change the software or impair its functions or on-screen content display.

Fuzzy logic Process that creates near matches in text to translation memory terms when exact matches cannot be found.

Fuzzy match Indication that words or sentences are partially – but not exactly – matched to previous translations.

G11N Abbreviation for globalization, with the number 11 representing the number of characters between the G and N.

GB 18030 Non-Unicode code page that contains room for 1.6 million one-, two- or four-byte characters and includes characters for Traditional Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, Yi and Uyghur scripts.

GCMS Abbreviation for global content management system.

Geolocation Process of identifying the geographic location of an individual, computer, or device based on their IP address..

GILT Acronym for globalization, internationalization, localization, and translation.

GIM Abbreviation for global information management.

Gist translation Use of human or machine translation to create a rough translation of the source text that allows the reader to understand the essence of the text.

Global content management system Program that manages the translation and frequently changing content on global websites.

Global information management Term used by some suppliers to describe multilingual content management applications.

Global information management. Term used by some suppliers to describe multilingual content management applications.

Globalization Process of adapting and modifying a product, website, or company for multiple international markets. Commonly abbreviated G11N.

Globalization content management system Obsolete term for when globalization management system vendors positioned their products as replacements for content management systems.

Globalization management system See translation management system.

Globalization service buyer Companies or managers who purchase language services or technology. Commonly abbreviated GSB.

Globalization service buyer. Companies or managers who purchase language services or technology. Commonly abbreviated GSB.

Glocal Combination of the words ‘global’ and ‘local,’ used to describe products or services intended for international markets and have been customized for different languages, countries, and cultures

Glyph Visual representation of a character depending on the font.

GMS Abbreviation for globalization management system.

GSB Abbreviation for globalization service buyer.

HDL Abbreviation for high-demand languages.

Healthcare interpreting Interpretation that takes place in medical or healthcare settings.

High-demand languages. Languages for which there is high demand in a given market; for example, Spanish in the U.S. Commonly abbreviated HDL.

Homographs Words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, origins, or pronunciations. For example, "read" (present tense) vs. "read" (past tense); "plain," "plane," and "plein."

Homonyms See homophones.

Homophones Words that sound alike but have different meanings, origins, or spellings. For example, "heir" and "hair," and "red" and "read" (past tense of verb).

Human translation Translation carried out by a human, with or without the help of machines or software. Commonly abbreviated HT.

Human translator Individuals who perform translation without the help of machines or software.

Human-assisted machine translation Machine translation complemented by human post-editing. Commonly abbreviated HAMT.

Human-delivered service company A company that offers process-centric services largely delivered by humans. Translation companies, accountancy, and ad agencies are examples of such firms.

I18N Abbreviation for internationalization, in which the number 18 represents the number of letters between the first and last letters.

IBMS Abbreviation for interpretation business management system.

ICU Abbreviation for international components for Unicode.

Ideographic language Written language where each character represents an idea or concept or meaning, and not just a pronunciation or sound. Examples of ideographic languages are Chinese and Japanese.

IM Abbreviation for interpretation memory.

Inbound text Text intended only for use within an organization.

In-country review Evaluation of a translated text by an individual who resides within the country where the target text will be used.

Indirect speech interpretation Practice by which the speaker's utterances are rendered into the target language indirectly, changing pronouns and prefacing renditions with words such as, "he said," or "she said."  An indirect speech interpretation of the

In-house translator Translator who works full-time for a given organization.

In-language review Evaluation of a translated text by an individual who speaks the target text natively.

Input method editor Tool that allows users to input characters not located on the original keyboard.

Integration testing Evaluation carried out to confirm that multiple information technology components can communicate with one another.

International components for Unicode Set of libraries for Java and C/C++ that enables applications to produce the same results across multiple platforms. Commonly abbreviated ICU.

Internationalization Process of designing a product in such a way that it can be easily changed or adapted or localized for numerous countries, regions or languages. Commonly abbreviated I18N.

Interpretation Process of rendering oral spoken or signed communication from one language to another, or the output that results from this process.

Interpretation business management system Software and web-based applications that support the delivery of and access to interpreting services. Commonly abbreviated IBMS.

Interpretation memory Spoken language words or utterances that have been previously transcribed, translated, and recorded in order to automate future interpretation. Commonly abbreviated IM.

Interpreter Person who provides interpretation.

Interpreting Act of providing interpretation.

ISO 2603 Guide that lists standards for fixed booth interpretation.

ISO 4043 Guide that lists standards for mobile booth interpretation.

ISO 639 Standard list of codes for language names.

ISO 8859 Group of character sets that encode characters based on the alphabets of different locales.

ISO/IEC 10646 Standardized coded character set designed with the goal of giving a unique coded representation to every character in all written languages in the world.

JIS Abbreviation for Japanese Industrial Standard.

KCCJ See C2JK.

L10N Abbreviation for localization, in which the number 10 represents the letters between the first and last letters.

Language System of signed, spoken, or written communication.

Language access ratio Metric that incorporates linguistic diversity, hospital size, and spending on interpreting services to calculate the average spend on interpreting services per LEP hospital bed. Commonly abbreviated LAR.

Language combination Group of active and passive languages used by an interpreter.

Language kit Add-on feature that permits a keyboard to produce character sets for a given language.

Language of habitual use Language in which a person communicates most often.

Language pair Languages in which a translator or interpreter can provide services, such as English into Spanish, French into Chinese, and so on.

Language resources Add-on feature that permits a keyboard to produce character sets for a given language.

Language service provider An organization or business with two or more employees that supplies language services, such as translation, localization, or interpretation. Commonly abbreviated LSP. Related Words Freelance translator  ;  Freelancer

Language technology Computer software that facilitates the translation or localization of texts.

Languages of limited demand Languages for which there is limited demand in a given market; for example, Hausa in Japan. Commonly abbreviated LLD.

LAR Abbreviation for language access ratio.

Latin alphabet Characters derived primarily from the Roman alphabet.

Lay interpreter Person who provides interpretation services on an irregular basis, usually without the benefit of any formal training or professional preparation.

Learning management system Software that facilitates the automation of learning.

Legal interpretation Interpretation that takes place in legal settings, including situations that take place outside of courtrooms.

Legal translation Translation of legal texts.

Lemmatization 1 Process of grouping together the various inflected forms of a word to facilitate collective analysis. 2 Process by which a machine determines the base form of a word.

LEP Abbreviation for limited English proficiency.

Leverage 1 Practice of reusing previously translated terms and phrases in new translations. 2 Rank which evaluates how much of the previously translated text can be reused.

Lexical sorting See cultural sorting.

Linguistic adaptation Modification of a text in order to tailor it to an audience or locale different than the one for which it was first produced.

Linguistic data processing See computational linguistics.

Literal translation Translation that closely follows the phrasing, order and sentence construction of the source text.

Literary translator Individual who translates literature and poetry.

LLD Abbreviation for languages of limited demand.

LMM Abbreviation for localization maturity model.

LMS Abbreviation for learning management system.

Loanword Word or group of words adopted directly from one language into another.

Locale Set of attributes specific to a language and geographical region.

Localization Process of adapting or modifying a product, service, or website for a given language, culture or region.

Localization engineering Software engineering carried out to support localization. Activities include internationalization, bug fixing, functionality testing, dialog box resizing, help compilation, and other software-related activities. Most LSPs charge for these services by the

Localization maturity model Capability maturity model that describes localization maturity at various phases. Commonly abbreviated LMM.

Localization specialist Individual who has specialized knowledge and skills in localization.

Localization tool Application that assists with the translation and adaptation required for localization.

Localizer Organization or person who performs localization.

Lossless Describes a conversion process in which all of the information is retained.

LSP Abbreviation for language service provider.

M18N Abbreviation for multinationalization, with the number 18 representing the number of characters between the M and N.

Machine interpretation Spoken language conversion that is completely automated and does not require humans. Commonly abbreviated MI.

Machine translation Translation carried out exclusively by a machine. Commonly abbreviated MT.

Machine translation plus translation memory A workflow and technology process in which terms not found in translation memory are automatically sent to the machine translation software for translation. Commonly abbreviated MTM.</strong>

Machine-aided translation See computer-assisted translation.

Markup language Artificial language that uses annotations to indicate how text should be formatted.

Markup-aware Describes translation memory tools that do not change tags.

Match Indication that words or sentences are matched - either partially or fully - to previous translations.

MBCS Abbreviation for multi-byte character set.

Meaning-for-meaning translation Translation for which the words used in both languages may not be exact equivalents, but the meaning is the same.

Medical interpreting See healthcare interpreting.

Mega-language One of the ten most important languages on the web, including Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Metadata Information that describes data.

MI Abbreviation for machine interpretation.

Middleware Computer software that enables software applications or components to communicate with each other.

Minutes per month Standard unit of measure for phone-based interpreting services. Commonly abbreviated MPM.

MLV Abbreviation for multi-language vendor.

Mode Method of providing interpretation, such as simultaneous interpretation.

Morpheme Smallest unit of meaning in a language.

Morphology Academic discipline devoted to the study of the forms and structure of words.

Mother tongue Native and first learned language of an individual.

MPM Abbreviation for minutes per month.

MT Abbreviation for machine translation.

Multi-byte character set Character set in which the number of bytes per character varies. Abbreviated MBCS.

Multi-byte language Language that requires the use of a multi-byte character set.

Multiculturalization Process by which the linguistic and cultural diversity among a group of people increases.

Multi-language vendor Language service provider that offers services in multiple language pairs. Abbreviated MLV.

Multilingual workflow Automation of business processes related to the development of multilingual products by managing multilingual content, usually through a translation management system, machine translation, and translation memory.

Multinationalization Process of expanding an organization's presence into multiple nations. Commonly abbreviated M18N.

Multiple language vendor See multi-language vendor.

Natal language See mother tongue.

National language version Product version that is developed in the language of a given geographic region or locale.

Native language First language that a human learns naturally, usually since childhood.

Native speaker Person who has full mastery of a language.

Natural language Language used by humans.

Natural language processing Study of computer processing of natural language.

Near match See fuzzy match.

Near-native proficiency Ability to use a language at a level that approximates that of a native speaker.

Nearshoring Outsourcing in which business processes or operations are relocated to locations that are geographically close by. Examples: offshoring from Germany to Bulgaria or from the United States to Mexico.

Neutral Spanish Spanish that is mutually intelligible by speakers from various parts of the Spanish-speaking world and is not immediately identifiable with any single regional variety of the language. No standards exist for defining neutral Spanish.

Next-wave language One of the languages of growing importance on the web.

N-gram Sub-sequence used to analyze letters, words, or base pairs in statistical natural language processing.

Notarization Process of authenticating a signature, statement, or document by a Notary Public.

Notarized translation Document for which a translator has attested under oath that the translation is true and accurate before a notary public.

Notary public Officer who is authorized to conduct notarizations.

ODI Abbreviation for on-demand interpretation.

Offshore outsourcing Practice of working with individuals or businesses in other countries to carry out work previously or typically performed by internal staff.

Offshoring See offshore outsourcing.

OLIF Abbreviation for open lexicon interchange format.

OLMT Abbreviation for online machine translation.

On-demand interpretation Spoken language conversion, by either humans or machines, that can be accessed on demand. Umbrella term for all forms of remote and face-to-face interpreting that can be accessed immediately, without prior scheduling. Commonly abbreviated ODI.

Online machine translation Machine translation services that are available online, usually at no cost.

On-site interpretation Interpretation that takes place when all parties are physically located in the same location.

Ontology Description of the relationships between concepts, objects, and other entities within a given field.

Open lexicon interchange format Format that enables the exchange of terminological and lexical data. Commonly abbreviated OLIF.

Open-source software Computer programs for which the source code is available, enabling users to view and/or modify it.

OPI Abbreviation for over-the-phone interpretation.

Outsourcing Practice of working with third party individuals or businesses to carry out work previously or typically performed by internal staff.

Over-the-phone interpretation See telephone interpretation.

Parallel text Text in the source language placed near translations so that each version of the text can be compared.

Participate CEL Customer experience level in which a visitor finds value in sharing experiences with others.

Passive language Language from which an interpreter renders interpretation.

Peer-level editing Form of editing that is most common and least expensive; entails having translators review the work of other translators.

Phonology Area of study within linguistics dedicated to the study of sounds.

Phraseological dictionary Compilation of frequently used phrases.

Plain English Method of writing English that employs a clear and simple style, usually for the purpose of improving readability. Among its features are using only active verbs (no passive voices) and making sure that each word has only one meaning.

PM Abbreviation for project manager.

PNG Abbreviation for portable network graphics.

Portable network graphics Format that combines GIF and JPEG formats. Commonly abbreviated PNG.

Post-editing Process by which one or more humans review, edit, and improve the quality of machine translation output.

Post-processed machine translation Machine translation complemented by human post-editing. Commonly abbreviated PPMT.

PPMT Abbreviation for post-processed machine translation.

PPW Abbreviation for price per word.

Pre-editing Process by which a text is edited prior to translation in order to clarify ambiguous terms and increase translatability.

Pre-translation Phase of translation process in which documents are prepared for conversion into another language. Usually includes an automated analysis against translation memories so that previously translated text is inserted in a file, therefore avoiding rework and

Price per word Common unit of measure used to calculate the cost of translation projects. Commonly abbreviated PPW.

Proficiency Measure of one's ability to use a language.

Project manager Individual who carries out management and coordination tasks for a given translation project. Commonly abbreviated PM.

Project setup Translation preprocessing steps include tasks such as glossary and style guide preparation, project planning, file preparation, content familiarization, and training.

Proofreading Practice of checking a translated text to identify and correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and coherency and integrity errors, (usually carried out by a second linguist or translator. - not necessarily. Proofreading can be done by editors with no second la

Pseudo-localization Automated process that simulates localization by using randomly produced code strings to test the impact of the functionality and appearance of a given product.

Pseudo-translation Automated process that simulates translation by using randomly produced text with qualities of human-generated language to identify potential problems with translation.

Public service interpreting Interpretation that takes place in settings where services are provided by government bodies.

QA Abbreviation for quality assurance.

QC Abbreviation for quality control.

QI Abbreviation for quality improvement.

Quality assurance Process designed to ensure translation quality, in which specific processes are followed with the purpose of minimizing errors.

Quality control Process designed to ensure translation quality, in which the target text is reviewed with the purpose of catching errors.

Quality improvement Process designed to ensure translation quality, in which the overall goal is to enhance performance.

RBMT Abbreviation for rules-based machine translation.

Register Measure of formality of language dependent upon the tone, terminology, and grammar implemented.

Register CEL Customer experience level in which a visitor fills out a contact form, sends an e-mail, or subscribes to a newsletter.

Relay interpreting Method of interpretation used when no interpreter for the required language pair is available, in which one interpreter transmits the source language utterance into another language, after which a second interpreter transmits this utterance into the targe

Remote interpretation Interpretation performed by an interpreter in a remote location.

Remote language mediation Spoken or written language conversion that occurs with the assistance of a remote linguist, usually in real time. Commonly abbreviated RLM.

Repetition Sentence or phrase that is repeated in the source text.

Repetition rate Numerical representation of the percentage of terms or segments that reoccur within a text.

Resource bundle Software component that stores application data outside of the actual program, enabling users to revise user interface attributes without the need to recompile the software, facilitating translation into other languages.

Resource description framework Data model used to provide standard descriptions of web resources for machine-readable metadata.

Return on investment Financial metric that measures the ratio of money gained or lost on an investment relative to the amount of money invested. Commonly abbreviated ROI.

Right-to-left language Writing system in which the text normally reads from right to left, such as Hebrew, Arabic, Urdu, and Farsi.

RLM Abbreviation for remote language mediation.

ROI Abbreviation for return on investment.

Roman numerals System of numerals that evolved from the system used in classical Rome, often used for purposes such as numbering pages in introductions or prefaces.

Romanization Representation of a word from a language that typically uses a different writing system in the Latin alphabet.

Rules-based machine translation Original machine translation solutions that combined the theories of traditional and generative grammarians, linguists who dealt with an idealized speaker or listener with a focus on precision; they converted their grammars into systematic, encyclopedic s

SDK Abbreviation for software development kit.

Segment Sentence or phrase that is separated from the rest of a text based on language construction rules such as punctuation.

Semantic translation Type of translation in which transmitting the meaning of the text is of primary importance, whereas preserving the original structure, grammar, and terminology is less important.

Semantics Area of study within the field of linguistics devoted to understanding the meaning of texts.

Senior-level editing Form of editing that is most common for specialized translation, such as legal and medical; entails having more experienced translators review the work of less experienced translators.

Shift-JIS Character encoding program for the Japanese language.

Shop CEL Customer experience level in which a visitor learns about specifics of one or more offerings, like pricing, availability, and terms and conditions.

Sight translation Process of converting a written text to spoken language.

Sign language Language that uses facial, manual, and/or other body movements.

Simplified Chinese Contemporary written Chinese language used in mainland China and Singapore.

SimShip Abbreviation for simultaneous shipment.

Simultaneous interpretation Mode of interpretation in which the interpreter listens to speech and simultaneously renders it into the target language.

Simultaneous interpretation equipment Headset, transmitter and other audio/video equipment used for simultaneous interpretation.

Simultaneous shipment Release of a product in multiple languages at the same time. Commonly abbreviated SimShip.

Single language vendor Language service provider that specializes in translation for a single language pair.

Single source concept Use of one source to create multiple output formats.

Single sourcing Process of producing a document in one format and automatically translating or publishing it into multiple formats.

Single-byte character set Character set in which a single 8-bit byte represents a character.

Single-byte encoding Quality of an application or program that supports single-byte characters.

SMT Abbreviation for statistical machine translation.

Social interpreting Interpretation that takes place in settings where social services are provided.

Software as a Service A software licensing and distribution model in which a company provides operations, storage, maintenance, and support for its product, typically over the internet. Commonly abbreviated SaaS.

Software development kit Documentation and source code that facilitate the process of developing programs that interface with a given product. Commonly abbreviated SDK.

Software engineering See localization engineering.

Software localization Process of translating and adapting computer software from one language and culture into another.

Source code Code that is compiled to develop a program.

Source count Number of words in a text to be translated.

Source file File that contains the source document in its original form, as opposed to a generated file, and is required for localization processes.

Source language Original language of the text that to be translated.

Source text Text to be translated.

Source text analysis Analysis of the source text prior to translation that provides a better idea of the difficulty of the translation.

Standard line Measure of the usual number of keystrokes per line in a certain text, which varies per country, and consists on average of 50 to 60 characters; commonly used for translation projects that are priced on a per line basis.

Statistical machine translation Second-generation solutions that take a probability-based approach to translation through computational analysis of data, treating data as character strings, determining patterns, and leveraging regularities. Commonly abbreviated SMT.

Style guide Document that describes the correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, style and numeric formats to ensure consistency and quality in a translated text.

Style sheet Document or template that describes the structure and format of a document, with instructions regarding fonts, page size, spacing, margins, paragraph styles and tag mark-ups to ensure consistency and quality in a translated text.

Subtitling See captioning.

Support CEL Customer experience level in which a visitor experiences anxiety and seeks assistance.

Sworn translator Translator who has been appointed by an official government body as someone authorized to produce translations.

Syntagm Syntactic string of words that forms a part of a larger syntactic unit.

Syntax Study of structure and elements that form grammatical sentences.

T9N Abbreviation for translation, in which the number 9 represents the number of letters between the first and last letters.

TAA Abbreviation for total available audience.

Tagging Marking content in a document with information about its content.

Target audience Group of people who receive the information rendered by the interpreter in the target language.

Target language Language into which the text is translated.

Target text Text that has been translated.

TBX Abbreviation for term base eXchange.

Technical interpretation Interpretation for technical settings, such as meetings and conferences in the fields of engineering, telecommunications, and technology.

Technical translation Translation of technical texts, such as user or maintenance manuals, catalogues and data sheets.

Telephone interpretation Spoken language conversion that is provided by a remote human interpreter via telephone, be that through a traditional phone or via VoIP. Commonly abbreviated TI.

TEP Abbreviation for translate-edit-proof.

Term Word, phrase, symbol or formula that describes or designates a particular concept.

Term base See terminology database.

Term base eXchange XML standard for exchanging terminological data. Commonly abbreviated TBX.

Term extraction Selecting terms in a text and placing them in a terminology database for analysis at a later time.

Term harvesting See term extraction.

Term list 1. List of terms, usually in more than one language. 2. Input/output text files.

Term mining See term extraction.

Terminology Collection of terms.

Terminology analysis Process carried out prior to translation in order to analyze the vocabulary within a text and its meaning within the given context, often for the purpose of creating specialized dictionaries within specific fields.

Terminology database Electronic repository of terms and associated data.

Terminology list See term list.

Terminology management Use of computer software to manage translation resources, create terminology databases for translation projects, and improve productivity and consistency.

Terminology management tool Computer application that facilitates terminology management.

Terminology manager Software application that facilitates the process of translation by interacting with a terminology database.

Terminology software Data processing tool that allows one to create, edit and consult text or electronic dictionaries

Text expansion Process that often occurs during translation in which the total number of characters in the target text exceeds that of the source text.

Text extraction Process in which the text from a source file is placed into a word processing file for use by a linguist

Text style Characteristics of terminology, style and sentence formation within a given text.

Text type See text style.

Text volume Amount of text based on character count or standard lines, often used to price translation projects.

Third person interpretation Practice by which the speaker's utterances are rendered into the target language indirectly, changing pronouns and prefacing renditions with words such as, "he said," or "she said."&nbsp; An indirect speech interpretation of the

TI Abbreviation for telephone interpretation.

TMS Abbreviation for translation management system.

TMS scorecard Assessment of service offerings and features of a given translation management system.

TMX Abbreviation for translation memory eXchange.

Token Identifier stored as part of a user's security profile.

Total available audience Metric that represents web users in all supported countries, speaking all supported languages, for a specific thought. Commonly abbreviated TAA.

Traditional Chinese Original Chinese ideographic character set used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and some Chinese communities who have not adopted the simplified characters used in the People's Republic of China.

Transcoding Process by which character data is converted between different character sets.

Transcreation Process by which new content is developed or adapted for a given target audience instead of merely translating existing material. It may include copywriting, image selection, font changes, and other transformations that tailor the message to the recipient

Transcription Process of converting oral utterances into written form.

Translatability Degree to which a text can be rendered into another language.

Translate-edit-proof Most common set of steps used for linguistic quality assurance in translation production processes. Commonly abbreviated TEP.

Translation Process of rendering written communication from one language into another, or the output that results from this process.

Translation agency Organization that provides translation services.

Translation capacity Average number of characters, words, lines, or pages that a professional translator can translate within a given time frame, such as a day, week, or month.

Translation company See translation agency.

Translation in the cloud It provides language services or tools such as translation, localization, and internationalization via the web. It is typically sold on an as-needed basis by the project, hour, or word volume. Some services may be sold by monthly or annual subscription. Buyers can buy as much or as little as they need, and require nothing more than a browser on a computer or other device to access it.

Translation kit A set of files and instructions given to an LSP by a client. The purpose of a translation kit is to provide LSPs with expectations: the subject matter and target audience, files and format to be translated, delivery expectations, special considerations an

Translation management system Program that manages translation and localization cycles, coordinates projects with source content management, and centralizes translation databases, glossaries, and additional information relevant to the translation process. Commonly abbreviated TMS.

Translation manager Person in charge of managing one or more translation project.

Translation memory Translated text segments that are stored in a database.

Translation memory eXchange Standard for converting translation memories from one format to another. Commonly abbreviated TMX.

Translation memory plus machine translation A workflow and technology process in which terms not found in translation memory are automatically sent to the machine translation software for translation, with the results fed back into the translation memory. Commonly abbreviated TMT.

Translation memory system Computer-aided translation tool that offers translation suggestions from translation memory.

Translation portal Web-based service that enables translation agencies, freelance translators and customers to contact one another and exchange services.

Translation rate Price of translation, usually provided on a per-word, per-line, or per-page basis.

Translation unit Segment of text treated as a single unit of meaning.

Translation verification test Test used to verify that all content from the source text has been translated accurately and completely.

Translator Person who performs translation.

Transliteration Process of converting words from a source text or audio file into a written text that facilitates pronunciation of the words.

Unicode 16-bit character set that is capable of encoding the characters of the world's major language scripts.

Unicode consortium Organization that was founded with the purpose of advancing the use of the Unicode standard.

Unicode standard Industry encoding standard that allows computers to represent and manipulate text in most of the world's writing systems.

Unidirectional interpretation Interpretation that takes place in only one direction. For example, spoken language is rendered from English into Japanese, but not from Japanese into English.

Universal Spanish See neutral Spanish.

User-generated content Content written or developed by users of a product or visitors to a website, such as Facebook, eBay, or Expedia.

User-translated content Content translated by the community of users of a product or website.

UTF-16 Abbreviation for 16-bit Unicode transformation format.

UTF-32 Abbreviation for 32-bit Unicode transformation format.

UTF-8 Abbreviation for 8-bit Unicode transformation format.

Verbatim translation See literal translation.

VI Abbreviation for video interpretation.

Video interpretation Spoken language conversion that is provided by a remote human interpreter via video, using videoconferencing equipment or web-based video call software, such as Skype. Commonly abbreviated VI.

Voice-over Technique in which a disembodied voice narrates a film, documentary, or other visual media.

Western Arabic numerals See Arabic numerals.

Whispered interpreting See chuchotage.

Wireless interpretation equipment Equipment that facilitates simultaneous interpretation, usually consisting of a batter-operated transmitter for the interpreter and a wireless receiver for the listener.

Word count Total number of words in a text, typically used to price translation projects.

Word delimiter Character, such as a space or carriage return, that marks a distinction between words in a text.

Word-for-word translation See literal translation.

Workflow management Computer or web-based applications used to direct translation and localization work processes.

Xenorevenue Revenue earned by a company outside its domestic market.

XLIFF Abbreviation for XML localisation interchange file format.

XML Abbreviation for eXtensible markup language.

XML localization intercharge file format XML specification for multilingual data exchange.

Zero translation Absence of translation.