ABC OF MILITARY LANGUAGE IN MEDIA: TRANSLATION OF MILITARY ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Abstract

This study examines the translation challenges and techniques used for military abbreviations and acronyms in international media coverage of conflicts. The research identifies key patterns in abbreviation types and translation methods by analyzing 286 military abbreviations collected from diverse sources, including news outlets, military publications, and academic journals between 2019–2024. The study found that initialisms comprise the majority (75.87%) of military abbreviations, followed by acronyms (11.88%), syllabic abbreviations (7%), and alphanumeric combinations (5.24%). Six primary translation techniques were evaluated, with calque (43.7%) and modulation (25.5%) emerging as the most frequently employed methods. The research reveals challenges in translating NATO terminology to non-NATO languages, military rank equivalencies across different armed forces, and technical military nomenclature. Results indicate that successful translation requires linguistic expertise and a deep understanding of military contexts, organizational structures, and cultural nuances. The findings demonstrate that evolving warfare technology and terminology necessitate adaptive translation approaches.