ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses translation problems arising from lack of equivalence at word level; what does a translator do when there is no word in the target language which expresses the same meaning as the source language word? The type and level of difficulty posed can vary tremendously, depending on the nature of non-equivalence. Different kinds of non-equivalence require different strategies, some very straightforward, others more involved and difficult to handle. The chapter provides some common types of non-equivalence at word level, with examples from various languages. The source-language word may express a concept which is totally unknown in the target culture. The source-language word may be semantically complex. The target language may make more or fewer distinctions in meaning than the source language. The chapter illustrates the use of a general word (superordinate) to overcome a relative lack of specificity in the target language compared to the source language.
