Translation studies - Definition and Overview

Translation studies is the branch of the humanities dealing with the systematic, interdisciplinary study of the theory, the description and the application of translation, interpreting or both these activities.

Translation studies can be normative (prescribing rules for the application of these activities) or descriptive.

As an interdisciplinary discipline, translation studies borrows much from the different fields of study that support translation. These include comparative literature, computer science, history, linguistics, philology, philosophy, semiotics, terminology, and so forth.

Note that occasionally in English, writers will use the term traductology to refer to translation studies. This usage is often considered erroneous, based on the French name for the discipline, la traductologie.