PROBLEMS OF AMBIGUITY DURING LANGUAGE TRANSLATION: A CASE STUDY OF KARAKALPAK AND ENGLISH

Аннотация

This article explores the issue of ambiguity in language translation, focusing on the challenges encountered when translating between Karakalpak and English. Ambiguity, whether lexical, syntactic, semantic, or pragmatic, often leads to misunderstandings and misinterpretations, particularly due to structural differences and cultural nuances between the two languages. The study identifies key sources of ambiguity, including polysemy, differences in word order, idiomatic expressions, and context-dependent meanings. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of cultural competence and contextual analysis in resolving ambiguity. Through specific examples, the paper demonstrates how literal translations may fail to convey intended meanings, emphasizing the need for translators to employ flexible and culturally aware strategies. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of accurate, context-driven translation to ensure effective cross-linguistic communication between Karakalpak and English speakers. Keywords: Language translation, ambiguity, Karakalpak language, English language, lexical ambiguity, syntactic ambiguity, pragmatic meaning, cultural context, idiomatic expressions, cross-linguistic communication, translation challenges Introduction. Language serves as a bridge between cultures, facilitating communication and mutual understanding. However, when translating from one language to another, especially from Karakalpak to English or vice versa, the issue of ambiguity often arises. Ambiguity in translation refers to situations where a word, phrase, or sentence can be interpreted in more than one way. This problem can distort the intended meaning and lead to misunderstandings. Therefore, this paper explores the main causes of ambiguity in the translation between Karakalpak and English and suggests ways to minimize such issues for clearer cross-linguistic communication. To begin with, Karakalpak and English are structurally and grammatically different languages. Karakalpak belongs to the Turkic language family, characterized by agglutinative morphology, while English is a Germanic language with a different syntactic and morphological system. Consequently, these differences often result in lexical, syntactic, and semantic ambiguity during translation. For instance, Karakalpak verbs carry extensive information through suffixes, indicating tense, mood, person, and number. When translating into English, which uses separate auxiliary verbs and word order to express the same information, certain nuances may be lost or misunderstood. This, in turn, causes confusion, especially when the context does not provide sufficient clues [4, 430-432]. Moreover, lexical ambiguity arises when a single word has multiple meanings. This is particularly common in both Karakalpak and English. For example, the Karakalpak word "bas" can mean "head," "top," or "leader" depending on the context. Similarly, in English, the word "bank" may refer to a financial institution or the side of a river. In translation, if the context is not clearly established, misinterpretation is likely. For instance, translating "ol bas boladı" without sufficient context may lead to either “he can be the head” or “he can be the leader,” each 72 YOSH OLIMLAR ILMIY-AMALIY KONFERENSIYASI in-academy.uz/index.php/yo carrying a slightly different implication. Hence, understanding context is vital in choosing the appropriate equivalent in the target language. In addition, syntactic ambiguity often results from the differences in sentence structure between the two languages. English typically follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, whereas Karakalpak follows a more flexible Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. For example, the Karakalpak sentence "Ali kitaptı oqıdı" translates directly to “Ali book read,” which in English must be reordered to “Ali read the book.” If translated too literally, the result may be grammatically incorrect or awkward in English. This often occurs when machine translation tools are used without human post-editing, resulting in ambiguous or unnatural expressions [1, 88-90]. Equally important is the cultural context embedded within each language. Idiomatic expressions, proverbs, and culturally specific terms do not always have direct equivalents. In Karakalpak, the idiom "Aq qoyan jügirgen jerden tabıladı" (literally: “The white rabbit is found where it runs”) conveys the idea that one finds what they seek by making an effort. Translating this literally into English may confuse readers unfamiliar with the cultural reference, thus failing to communicate the intended meaning. Therefore, translators must not only understand both languages but also the cultural frameworks that shape them. Instead of translating literally, translators need to find equivalent idioms or paraphrase to preserve the original meaning and emotional tone. Another factor to consider is pragmatic ambiguity, which occurs when the speaker’s intention is unclear. For instance,