Abstract ▼ AI-Helper

Recently, Korean webtoons have played a crucial role in the overseas export process of the Korean Wave. The researcher believes that, with the increasing export and growing interest in Korean webtoons, an in-depth study on the language characteristics and translation strategies used in webtoons is e...

Recently, Korean webtoons have played a crucial role in the overseas export process of the Korean Wave. The researcher believes that, with the increasing export and growing interest in Korean webtoons, an in-depth study on the language characteristics and translation strategies used in webtoons is essential. Unlike traditional media, webtoons convey their messages through illustrations, allowing for the use of various onomatopoeia and mimetic words. There are no constraints on expression, leading to the frequent use of internet slang, abbreviations, compound words, derived words, slang, and colloquial language.
The researcher focused on studying unique neologisms found in webtoons. This study aims to classify and analyze neologisms found in Korean and Vietnamese webtoon translations. The goal is to propose alternatives for effective translation based on the classification and analysis of these neologisms according to translation strategies.
In this study, neologisms are defined as a comprehensive concept, referring to vocabulary that emerges or gains new meanings due to social changes. In Vietnamese dictionaries, neologisms are represented as 'Từ mới,' which translates to 'new words.' However, it is not confirmed that 'Từ mới' has the same definition as Korean neologisms. Therefore, in this study, 'Từ mới' was not be called a 'neologism'. Additionally, this study does not cover Vietnamese neologisms. The researcher selected two well-known webtoons, "Why Secretary Kim? (Thư Ký Kim Sao Thế?)" and "True Beauty (Nữ Thần Giáng Thế)," which are popular in both Korea and Vietnam, as the subjects of the study. A total of 219 neologisms were extracted from these two webtoons, excluding duplicates. To achieve equivalent translations at the word level, the researcher analyzed translation strategies based on Mona Baker's eight translation strategies.
Webtoons are action texts that contain not only text but also pictures, and when translating them, it is necessary to consider how to convey the meaning of the original text appropriately according to the situation of the pictures. Therefore, it is important to consider the cultural background, idioms, and language structure of the translated language and find and translate an appropriate replacement for the situation of the webtoon picture, or to properly convey the meaning in the translated language through proofreading translation.
The need for more translation research appears to be crucial to accurately convey newly emerging terms as a second language in the future. Furthermore, subsequent studies on Vietnamese neologisms are also necessary. The researcher hopes that this study will provide some assistance to translators of Korean-Vietnamese webtoons, scholars researching Korean-Vietnamese webtoon translation, or those interested in the translation of neologisms.

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