What does source language mean?
The source language of a translation is the language of the source document. For example, when translating from German to English, German is the source language.
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Source language and target language
The source language is an important element of your translation, especially for your specialist translator. This person must have a very good command of the source language in order to correctly transfer the content from the source language to the target language. The counterpart to the source language is therefore the target language, and both opposites are combined by the skill of the specialist translator.
How source language relates to quality
In order to produce translations of the highest quality, it is important that the specialist translator is a native speaker of the target language but also has a very good command of the source language. Only in this way can they understand the source text and its message properly and transfer every statement, feeling and thought from the source language into the target language. This is not only the case with lyrical texts, in which feelings are described, for example, but is also of great importance in specialist areas such as mechanical engineering, law or medicine. Only through a clear understanding of the technical words in the source language can the translation appear natural and be rendered correctly.
Key facts about source language
Speaking of source language, it can be summarised as the counterpart to the target language, which in turn denotes the language in which the text to be translated is written, and that the specialist translator requires not only native fluency in the target language but also a sound knowledge of the source language.