On the Beautéxicon: Anglicisms Translation in Spanish Cosmetic Leaflets

Abstract

Nowadays, with the constant search for ultimate perfection and the enhancement of beauty, there is an increased range of beauty treatments and therapies. Whereas the French language was regarded -among other issues- as a beauty and cosmetics language, additional languages have been added to the cosmetology world, such as Korean and English. As far as the latter is concerned, for centuries, English has been considered the lingua franca of science and technology, and this also applies to cosmetology. Considering the promptness of English-language cosmetic techniques rise, when rendering the translation of this language into Spanish, we witness a significant bonanza of anglicisms within the cosmetic field. Due to the difficulties entailed within the Spanish translation of these cosmetic anglicisms, we carried out a manual selection of a set of 10 English neologisms. Upon application of three translation techniques (pure anglicisms, evolved anglicisms, and cultural translation), we will then unveil the feasible translation alternatives into the Spanish language. By mapping this glossary out, we can offer both Translation and Interpreting Undergraduate students and professional scientific-technical translators additional alternatives other than the English language borrowing one.