Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika –
Зарубежная лингвистика и
лингводидактика – Foreign
Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Journal home page:
https://inscience.uz/index.php/foreign-linguistics
Problems and achievements in translating English football
terms into Uzbekistan
Khurmatillo ERGASHOV
1
National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received March 2025
Received in revised form
10
April 2025
Accepted 2 April 2025
Available online
25 May 2025
This article explores the main challenges and
accomplishments in translating English football terminology
into Uzbek. The analysis focuses on contextual relevance,
international practice, technological innovations, and the
language of sports journalism.
2181-3701/© 2025 in Science LLC.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-3701-vol3-iss5
This is an open-access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru
Keywords:
football,
terminology,
translation,
Uzbek language,
linguistics,
VAR,
offside.
Ingliz tilidagi futbol terminlarini o‘zbek tiliga tarjima
qilishdagi muammo va yutuqlar
ANNOTATSIYA
Kalit so‘zlar:
futbol,
termin,
tarjima,
o‘zbek tili,
lingvistika,
VAR,
offside.
Ushbu maqolada ingliz tilidagi futbol terminlarini oʻzbek
tiliga tarjima qilishda uchraydigan asosiy muammolar,
yechimlar va yutuqlar yoritilgan. Tarjimada kontekstga moslik,
xalqaro tajriba, texnologik yangiliklar va sport jurnalistikasi tili
alohida e’tiborda tahlil qilingan.
1
PhD Student, National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek. E-mail: tilloharlamov@gmail.com
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2025) / ISSN 2181-3701
256
Проблемы и достижения в переводе футбольных
терминов с английского языка на узбекский
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
футбол,
термин,
перевод,
узбекский язык,
лингвистика,
VAR,
офсайд.
В статье рассматриваются основные трудности и
достижения в переводе английских футбольных терминов
на узбекский язык. Особое внимание уделяется контексту,
международному опыту, технологическим новшествам и
языку спортивной журналистики.
INTRODUCTION
Football is considered one of the most popular sports globally today. Therefore,
the clear and accurate translation of football-related terms at the international level is of
great importance. In particular, translating from English into Uzbek presents several
challenges. Terms are specialized lexical units unique to each field, used to express
specific concepts. These terms are usually short, precise, and often carry cultural
connotations. If context, audience, and international use are not taken into account
during the translation process, meanings can be misunderstood.
Uzbek linguist D. Murodov (2022) states: "When localizing terms, it is important
how they are perceived by the public, whether they are understandable, and whether
they are clearly expressed."
B. Ashurov (2020): "Translating football terms requires finding a balance between
popularity and accuracy." Football terms are characterized by their brevity, metaphorical
nature, and context dependence. Finding Uzbek equivalents for such terms is not always
easy. For example, terms like "offside" (o‘yindan tashqari holat), "hat-trick", "pressing",
"winger", "corner kick" (burchak to‘pi), "save" (to‘pni qaytarish) are often left in their
original forms without full translation into Uzbek. Additionally, calling the goalkeeper
"keeper" in English has become common in Uzbek. These cases have become familiar
among football fans and journalists.
Opinions of Linguistic Scholars
According to linguist A. Karimov, "There is a constant balance between preserving
the original and finding equivalents in Uzbek when translating sports terminology"
(Karimov, 2021). Ashurov also suggests that "localizing terms is essential for their wide
public adoption, although in some cases, using international terms unchanged is also
appropriate" (Ashurov, 2020).
Foreign scholar J. Brown believes that "cultural and linguistic aspects must always
be considered in the translation of football terms, as these aspects ensure full and correct
understanding" (Brown, 2019). Prominent sports linguist P. Smith notes: "Rather than
fully translating terms, sometimes keeping them in their international form is more
useful for clear understanding" (Smith, 2017).
Certainly! The following additional information is written in
academic language
,
with each paragraph connected through
coherent linking sentences
. The style is
analytical and logically structured.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2025) / ISSN 2181-3701
257
To explore the issue of football term translation more deeply, the following aspects
are particularly noteworthy, as they allow for a broader contextual analysis of existing
challenges and successes.
Historical Context and Term Formation
First, it is necessary to examine the history of football terminology development.
Most English football terms were formed in the 19th century, directly linked to the
cultural, sporting, and social life of that period. For instance, the expression "hat-trick"
first appeared in the sport of cricket to describe a reward given to a player who made
three significant plays. Later, this phrase was adopted into football with a specific
semantic meaning. Thus, not ignoring the historical origin and connotations of terms
contributes to improved translation quality.
Semantic Accuracy Through Practical Examples
Based on the historical approach described above, identifying Uzbek equivalents of
football terms becomes essential. Practical examples are highly important in this process.
For instance, the term "offside" is translated as “o‘yindan tashqari holat”, which has
become quite widespread today. Similarly, "save" as “to‘pni qaytarish”, "free kick" as
“erkin zarba”, and "goalkeeper" as "darvozabon" are semantically accurate and precise. In
contrast, terms like "playmaker" do not yet have a widely accepted equivalent, which
suggests ongoing research in this area.
Translation Errors and Semantic Ambiguities
Analyzing these aspects also requires attention to semantic errors in the
translation process. In some cases, terms are translated without considering context,
which leads to deviation from their original meanings. For example, translating "assist"
as “ko‘mak” may result in misinterpretation in a sports context. Or, while "clean sheet"
means "keeping the goal unbreached", it is sometimes wrongly translated as “toza varaq”
(clean sheet of paper). Such examples highlight the need for terminological consistency
among sports journalists and translators.
International Experience: Comparative Analysis
From this perspective, studying international practice is of great importance. For
example, in Turkish, the word "offside" is adopted as "ofsayt" through phonetic
transliteration. In French, "goal" is translated as "but", and "goalkeeper" as "gardien de
but" – an approach based on localization principles. In Russian, terms like "penalti",
"avtogol", and "golyador" are borrowed from English and phonologically adapted. Uzbek
is still seeking a balance between these two approaches – transliteration and localization.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Translation Opportunities
Technological aspects of translation cannot be ignored. In recent years, automatic
translation platforms – especially those based on artificial intelligence – have been
widely used. However, these tools often fail to accurately determine the contextual
meanings of terms. For instance, while "save" in football means “to‘pni qaytarish”,
machine translation might incorrectly render it as “saqlash”. Therefore, technology can
be a helpful tool, but the involvement of expert linguists and sports journalists remains
crucial. Based on the above considerations, it can be said that the process of translating
football terms is a multi-faceted and complex phenomenon. This process requires the
collaborative effort of linguistic knowledge, cultural understanding, social psychology,
and modern technologies. Especially when each term is studied in context and adapted
into meaningful, understandable, and culturally appropriate forms, it enriches the
modern Uzbek sports terminology and contributes to its sustainable development.
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika – Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика – Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue – 5 (2025) / ISSN 2181-3701
258
Achievements in the Translation Process
In recent years, progress has been made in Uzbek sports journalism and the
creation of football glossaries. Some terms, such as "penalty" becoming "penalti", serve as
examples of successful translation outcomes. Additionally, efforts by local media to
popularize football terms have yielded positive results.
1. Considering the Contextual Fit of Terms
The term "pressing" is translated in a football context as “raqibga bosim o‘tkazish”.
However, in political texts, it may mean “siyosiy bosim”. Therefore, it is necessary to
consider the specific sports context during translation.
P. Smith (2017) states: "If a term is not analyzed in context during translation, it
can take on an entirely different meaning. This situation often occurs in sports
terminology."
2. Adopting Widely Used International Terms
Terms such as "Hat-trick", "VAR", and "penalty" have been accepted in most
languages in their English form. This indicates their international status.
J. Brown (2019): "Keeping international sports terms in the same form creates a
unified conceptual field for a global audience."
3. Ensuring Compliance with Local Language Norms and Public Comprehension
The Uzbek equivalent of "save" as “to‘pni qaytarish” is more understandable.
Similarly, using “burchak to‘pi” or “burchak zarbasi” instead of "corner kick" aligns with
Uzbek language norms.
D. Murodov (2022): "When localizing terms, it is important how they are perceived
by the public, whether they are understandable, and whether they are clearly expressed."
4. Active Use of Existing Uzbek Equivalents
Words such as “darvozabon” instead of "goalkeeper", and “o‘yindan tashqari holat”
instead of "offside" are gaining popularity in Uzbekistan. This enriches Uzbek terminology.
B. Ashurov (2020): "It is not enough to propose equivalents in Uzbek – mass
adoption is achieved through active usage."
CONCLUSION
In the process of translating football terms, it is essential to consider linguistic,
journalistic, cultural, and modern technological factors. If each term is analyzed in
context and adapted to the national language as much as possible, this will ensure not
only clarity but also support the development of the language.
REFERENCES:
1.
Ashurov, B. (2020). Oʻzbek tilidagi futbol terminlari.
Filologiya masalalari
, №4.
2.
Brown, J. (2019).
Football terminology in translation
. International Journal of
Sports Linguistics, 12(3).
3.
Smith, P. (2017).
Linguistic challenges in sports translation
. Sport Translation
Journal, 8(2).
4.
Yunusov, S. (2022).
Zamonaviy futbol atamalari
.
SamDU Ilmiy Axborotnomasi
, №2.
