Subtitles and International Anglification - Henrik Gottlieb

 

 Henrik Gottlieb Subtitles and International Anglification, published in the Nordic Journal of English Studies in March 2004 (Vol. 3 No. S1, pp. 219–230) 

 

Henrik Gottlieb is a Danish linguist and translation scholar, who is most known for his work in audiovisual translation. He is an associate professor emeritus at the University of Copenhagen.

 

Focus of the article: The phenomenon of international anglification through subtitles—that is, how English influences other languages via translated media—and whether subtitling accelerates this process.

 

 

Is Subtitling Really “Translation”?

 

Gottlieb opens with a provocative question: Is subtitling translation? He notes that many in both industry and academia hesitate to call it “real” translation due to:

 

Time-space limitations: Subtitles must fit roughly 70 characters per frame, with a reading limit of about 12 characters per second, forcing condensation and simplification .

 

The common notion of translation as written text to written text (e.g., books), whereas subtitling converts speech to writing.

 

 

He proposes that all interlingual transfers qualify as translation, while distinguishing between:

 

Isosemiotic translation: maintaining the same mode—e.g., speech-to-speech (dubbing), writing-to-writing (texts).

 

Diasemiotic translation: crossing modes—like subtitling, which goes from spoken (speech) to written text .

 

 

What Is Anglification in Subtitles?

 

Anglification refers to the growing presence of English terms—anglicisms—in the subtitles of non-English media.

 

Gottlieb situates this in the broader language-political context of global English influence: even in small-language communities, English is no longer just a foreign language but is permeating everyday media and discourse .

 

 

 Investigating Anglification: Findings & Interpretations

 

While the 2004 article lays conceptual groundwork, Gottlieb’s later research (notably in the chapter Old Films, New Subtitles, More Anglicisms?) provides empirical backing: he compares Danish subtitles of classic English-language films across time to assess levels of anglicism.

 

Key insight: Contrary to expectations, subtitles do not necessarily act as agents driving anglification. Instead, subtitlers may deliberately avoid overly anglicized language, sometimes using less anglicized or more domestically appropriate phrasing than that found in non-screen domestic texts .

 

 

In short

 

 Subtitling and Translation

 

Subtitling is a form of translation, though often underestimated.

 

Moves from spoken mode → written mode.

 

Gottlieb calls this diasemiotic translation (crossing semiotic modes).

 

In contrast, isosemiotic translation keeps the same mode (e.g., books, dubbing).

 

Subtitling is therefore a valid and complex translation practice.

 

 

 

Anglification Defined

 

Anglification is the spread of English into other languages.

 

Happens through loanwords, anglicisms, stylistic imitation.

 

Subtitles are often accused of increasing anglification.

 

Example: American English terms like okay, cool, weekend entering Danish.

 

 

 

Myths about Subtitling and Anglification

 

Myth: Subtitles are a major force behind English domination.

 

Reality: Subtitlers often filter out anglicisms and choose domestic equivalents.

 

Subtitles may contain fewer anglicisms than newspapers or youth media.

 

Subtitling can preserve the target language rather than weaken it.

 

 

 

 

Subtitlers are cultural mediators, not just language transmitters.

 

Subtitling is shaped by choices, audience needs, and cultural policies.

 

English influence is global, but its effect varies across societies.

 

Subtitling shows how globalization and local culture interact.