Translation transformations in English-Ukrainian rendering of CBRN terminology

Abstract

The paper examines translation transformations used in the English-Ukrainian rendering of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) defense terminology. Its relevance stems from Ukraine’s integration into Euro-Atlantic security structures, which requires harmonizing Ukrainian military-technical terminology with international standards, in particular NATO STANAG. Drawing on Eugene Nida’s distinction between formal correspondence and dynamic equivalence, and on the transformation models of J.-P. Vinay, J. Darbelnet, and V. Karaban, the study analyzes 20 key terminological units selected from the NATO Glossary on CBRN Issues, the FEMA Glossary of Terms, European Commission documentation, and NATO Science for Peace and Security Program reports. The identified shifts are classified into lexical, grammatical, and mixed transformations. Loan translation (calquing) proves to be the dominant technique (40%), driven by interoperability requirements. Direct equivalents account for 20%, descriptive translation for 15%, and transliteration for 10%, while concretization, generalization, and combined transformations each account for 5%. The findings show that adequate rendering of CBRN terminology requires balancing formal accuracy with adaptation to established Ukrainian military terminology.