Analysis and Translation Into Spanish of the Onomatopoeic Verb “Плескать” in Russian and the Actions Linked to It

Abstract

The translation of onomatopoeic verbs is one of the most difficult and insufficiently examined questions in translation studies. Many authors have tried to establish different translation strategies for onomatopoeias (units closely related to language and culture). While translating this kind of linguistic phenomena, we must study the linguistic mechanisms of the source language too. Actants of onomatopoeic verbs play an important role in the correct choice of an equivalent in the target language. This article analyzes the onomatopoeic verb “плескать” in the Russian language. The purpose of the article is: 1) to describe the meanings of the verb “плескать” in the Russian language and its actants; 2) translation of actions denoted by the verb “плескать” into Spanish. In order to realize this analysis, the examples of contexts employing the verb “плескать” from Russian literature were translated. This analysis permitted us to systematize the parameters necessary to translate the verb “плескать”. Besides it confirmed that the meaning of the verb and its actants are important elements in choosing correctly the translation equivalent.