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Linguistic and Cultural Dislocation in the Chinese Translation of Miao Toponyms

Author(s)

Hui Shi

Affiliation(s)

College of Foreign Languages, Jishou University, Jishou, Hunan, China

Abstract

As integrated carriers of local history, culture, geography, and the natural environment, Miao toponyms are rich in linguistic and cultural significance. However, their current Chinese translations often exhibit linguistic and cultural dislocations, which significantly hinder the effective representation of minority cultures. This study employs field investigation and literature analysis to examine the phonological, semantic, and cultural-cognitive misalignments in the Chinese translation of Miao place names in western Hunan. It identifies the types and causes of these dislocations. The findings reveal that translation-induced dislocations mainly manifest in three forms: (1) Phonological distortion, where the original syllables are reduced or simplified in the target language; (2) Semantic misrepresentation, involving simplification, mistranslation, or functional substitution of culturally embedded imagery; and (3) Cultural-cognitive deviation, where the mainstream linguistic-cognitive framework overrides or reconstructs the original cultural logic of the Miao language. The primary causes of these dislocations include: (1) a lack of professional expertise among translators, (2) significant dialectal variation in Miao language across regions, and (3) the dual influence of administrative boundary adjustments and commercial tourism. This research deepens our understanding of linguistic-cultural imbalance in cross-linguistic toponymic translation and offers theoretical insights for standardizing the translation of minority-language place names.

Keywords

Miao Toponyms; Linguistic and Cultural Traits; Types of Dislocation; Causes of Dislocation

References

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