Medical Discourse Translation during COVID-19: A Case Study of Translating Medical Discourse into Arabic

Abstract

This article aims to tackle the problems of translating medical terms from English to Arabic, particularly terms related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It first examines medical terminology in English, considering how such terms are coined or created, and later sheds light on the importance of neologism in medical discourse. Although English maintains itself as the lingua franca of science and medicine, many researchers have examined the importance of translating medical terminology into Arabic and creating new equivalents instead of borrowing foreign words directly into Arabic. Thus, this article aims to first shed light on newly used words that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then analyse their most commonly used translations. The data consists of four common words that have been extensively used during the pandemic. The study concluded that the majority of these terminologies are translated using a descriptive method, or Arabicization. The article further highlights the importance of creating a consistent medical terminology base in Arabic.