Lexical identity and cultural markers in Andriy Lyubka’s novel “Carbide” and its Slovak translation: an attempt at linguistic comparison

Abstract

The article examines lexical identity and cultural markers as key concepts of modern linguistics and translation studies within the context of intercultural communication. The aim of the study is to explore how lexemes reflecting national and regional identity function in a literary text and how they are transformed in the process of translation into another language. The object of the research is Andriy Lyubka’s novel “Carbide”, which is rich in the local linguistic features of Transcarpathia, as well as its Slovak translation.

The analysis is grounded in theories of linguistics, translation studies, and cultural studies, focusing in particular on the concepts of linguistic and cultural identity, equivalence, and translation adaptation. The paper identifies the main types of lexical and cultural markers in the source text: dialectisms, socially marked vocabulary, cultural realia, ethno-cultural names, authorial neologisms, and play on words. Particular attention is paid to the contextual functioning of these units and to the mechanisms used to render them in the target language.

A comparison between the Ukrainian original and the Slovak translation is carried out, taking into account the strategies of translation and transfer operations. The author analyses how these strategies affect the preservation or loss of semantic richness, stylistic expression, and cultural flavour. Specific examples illustrate both successful translation solutions that preserve the author’s intention and cases of partial loss of cultural marking due to the need to adapt the text to the receptive horizon of the Slovak reader. Instances where the translator resorts to compensation, modification, or complete neutralisation of culturally loaded elements are also examined.

The analysis shows that the translation of “Carbide” generally preserves the main features of the linguistic and cultural identity of the original, although some inevitable changes occur. The translation functions as a form of cultural mediation that not only transmits the text but also reshapes it within a new language system. The study highlights the importance of examining lexical identity and cultural markers for a deeper understanding of interlingual communication and literary translation in a globalised cultural space. It also contributes to a better understanding of the translator’s role as both interpreter and cultural mediator.