Croatian-english : background, experiences, and resources

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The author discusses Croatian language and English-Croatian translation from a historical and cultural relations viewpoint. Croating language is a South Slavic language with a 1,000-year heritage. It was written in Glago¡tic letters in its early history. Some 7 million people worldwide speak Croatian today. Problems and pitfalls in Croatian-English translation and interpretation are reviewed. Theilustrative examples cover diacritics, false cognates and short lists of the most common errors. Translator ́s resources reviewed include publications, institutions and organizations of interest. A snapshot of the current language dynamics shows an interplay between a) an influx of foreign mainly Anglicisms); b) efforts aimed at timely and proper construction of adequate iequivalents; and c) advocacy of a respectful preservation of the language's rich heritage. An initiative for the ATA accreditation program in South Slavic languages includes English-Croating language pair. Based on international standards and constitutional documents of all relevant countries, the initiative members have voted and recommended to the ATA that the obsolet term,'Serbo-Croatian', should be discontinued as a language designation. The Croatian language group has been formed. Eventual successful introduction of the Croatian-English language pair into the ATA acreditation program would contribute to a better knowledge of Croatian culture and language in the U.S. It would also lead to an interchange between language professionals and their organizations in the two countries. Finally, it would answer needs for increased volume and better quality of translation as Croatia nears entry into European Union and NATO.