Pragmatic Aspects of Translating the Nivkh Fairy Tale “Why there Are Few People on Earth” into Russian and English

This study’s relevance is driven by the critical endangerment of the Nivkh language and the Russian Federation’s state policies aimed at preserving minority languages. Nivkh folklore embodies a unique worldview not integrated into globalized cultural discourse, making its translation a key instrument for language revitalization and intercultural communication. The aim of this paper is to identify and evaluate, through comparative analysis, the most effective translation techniques for the pragmatically adequate rendering of ethnocultural and mythological realia in the Nivkh fairy tale “Why There Are Few People on Earth.” The empirical material consists of the original tale as adapted by V.M. Sangi and its published Russian and English translations. The methodology combines linguo-stylistic analysis, pragmatic interpretation, and a comparative approach, supplemented by a quantitative analysis of the frequency of linguistic devices. The results identify key elements conveying the original’s pragmatic potential: onomastic realia as cultural markers defining the mythological and geographical space; allusions preserving deep cultural layers of the folklore text; and onomatopoeia and interjections that create the work’s expressive background. The analysis reveals that transliteration and transcription are the most effective strategies, as they preserve authenticity and ethnocultural specificity. However, to achieve full pragmatic adaptation, these techniques require detailed translator’s commentary. A critical analysis of the translations revealed both successful solutions and significant pragmatic losses: for example, the inaccurate translation of the term stoybishche (стойбище) as “camp” distorts the concept of the Nivkh’s sedentary lifestyle, while the lexical unification of lub (луб) and beresta (береста) impoverishes the text’s material culture. The study’s novelty and practical significance lie in its being the first comprehensive pragmatic analysis of this text. Its findings offer evidence-based recommendations for professional translators working with minority-language folklore, with applications in translation studies, ethnolinguistics, and cultural heritage preservation projects.

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