Translating Lexical Creativity in Children’s Literature: Challenges, Strategies and Proposal of a New Methodological Framework

Abstract

Language plays are often considered untranslatable, but is this assumption justified? Lexical creativity presents numerous challenges for translators and raises compelling questions, particularly in children’s literature, where linguistic experimentation is especially abundant. However, the presumed untranslatability of language play stems largely from linguistic and cultural preconceptions. This article argues that lexical creativity is indeed translatable through a variety of strategies. It introduces a new methodological framework that outlines the strategies available to translators. This framework draws on the works of Jacqueline Henry (2003) and B. J. Epstein (2012), which are combined and further developed to support this approach.