Teneo Linguistics Company (TLC) is a certified small, woman-owned language services provider (LSP). But why Teneo? And what is the meaning behind the name?
When TLC Owner and CEO Hana Laurenzo established the company 15 years ago, she didn’t want to go with the word “language” in the title. It was an overused and taken word among the thousands of LSPs.
Teneo (tenere, tenui, tentus) is a Latin word meaning to master, to grasp, to hold, to comprehend, to maintain, or to get.
“When Julius Ceasar stepped off the boat on the North shore of Africa, he got down on the ground, spread his arms as if to hug the land, and said ‘Teneo te, Africa!’ – ‘I hold/have you, Africa!’” Hana described about the word.
“Some say he actually fell on his face when stepping off of the boat and when people were laughing, he turned it into an intentional act, instead. I guess we’ll never know.”
A name is very valuable in defining a company and creating an identity among competitors – it helps a business stand out from the crowd. A unique company name can help communicate the business strategy and is necessary for branding success.
Hana adds, “Aside from the meaning, I like it is a conversation starter because people often ask me what that means or tell me they had looked it up. It also shows that we are paying homage to Latin, one of the most significant and influential languages in the history of mankind.”
In addition, bringing in the word “linguistics” instead of “language” adds a professional and even scientific element to the TLC brand. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure.
TLC has thousands of professional, experienced linguists in its database who are proficient in more than 180 languages. Industries served include life science organizations, government agencies, manufacturing companies, legal firms, educational departments, and a range of other businesses.
The services TLC provides are customized to fit an agency’s organizational workflow. Lasting partnerships are formed with clients and TLC lives by four Core Values: Excellence, partnership, integrity, and gratitude.
Overall, the name Teneo Linguistics Company was chosen because it reflects who we are as a business.
Learn more about how TLC can support your company with language services by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
Mistakes happen. But when it comes to advertising in other countries, mistakes can be costly. That’s why it is extremely important to hire a reputable language services provider for culturally-accurate translations.
This piece will take a look at some funny, yet tragic, advertising translation fails that happened to higher-profile brands.
Ford’s “Every car has a high-quality corpse” slogan
After making the decision to expand to Belgium, Ford Motor Company began an ad campaign in Dutch.
What was supposed to be, “Every car has a high-quality body,” actually translated to “Every car has a high-quality corpse.”
KFC’s “Eat your fingers off” slogan
Kentucky Fried Chicken created an advertisement in China that was supposed to promote their “Finger lickin’ good” slogan. However, due to a mistranslation with the Mandarin, the slogan read as “Eat your fingers off” — not quite the appetizing message.
Fortunately for KFC, the branding in China was small enough that the company was able to recover from the mistake.
Pepsi’s “bring your ancestors back to life”
Running an ad campaign in China, Pepsi inadvertently mistranslated its “Come alive with Pepsi” to say “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the grave.”
Definitely a bold commitment.
Dairy association’s “Are you lactating?” ad
Most English speakers know the American Dairy Association’s catchy slogan, “Got Milk?” But when the organization decided to do a campaign in Mexico, that wasn’t the phrase that went out.
The literal translation of “got milk” in Spanish is “are you lactating?” Thankfully, the message was caught very early in the process and adjusted.
Coors “You will suffer from diarrhea”
In the early 1980s, Coors started an ad campaign with the slogan, “Turn it loose!” This proved difficult to translate into Spanish.
The phrase translated is actually the slang term for “get diarrhea” in Spanish – not an ideal combination. In full, the tagline translated into “You will suffer from diarrhea!” Oops.
Teneo Linguistic Company’s marketing and transcreation services ensure messaging is accurate and culturally appropriate. Marketing translation is almost always more transcreation than direct translation. A translator will likely need to localize phrases and words within. This will make sure a company delivers the right meaning to the intended audience.
No matter how big or small a marketing translation project is, hiring an expert language services provider is vital to ensure top-notch translations. Get a quote today by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
Having a language services provider (LSP) should always be a part of any company’s plan when it comes to growth. But how do you determine whether your business should hire an LSP? Here is a closer look at some industries that benefit from professional language services.
• Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry has a diverse workforce and communication is key in managing a manufacturing workforce. Miscommunication within the industry leads to inefficiency — the inability to collaborate effectively and a decline in productivity.
Translation services help employees understand the inner workings of the company, product specifications, and the quality aspects that need to be addressed strictly while manufacturing a product because the information is in their native language.
• Healthcare
Limited English proficient patients who used interpreting services received more inpatient services and office visits. One of the most valuable reasons for healthcare translation services is to provide a way for physicians to effectively communicate with their patients.
In order to deliver the best care possible, doctors cannot be hindered by language barriers. Teneo Linguistics Company utilizes an online platform for on-demand interpreting services to assist in the patient/medical provider relationship.
• Marketing/Digital Marketing
Professional translation is important for marketing agencies/departments because it ensures the original message is as intact as possible in another language. It enables businesses to clearly communicate their message to people from different cultures.
In addition, having a solid multilingual/international search engine optimization (SEO) is beneficial for any company’s website.
• Legal
Whether you are a lawyer or an individual seeking legal services, hiring an LSP is essential in guaranteeing high-quality and accurate results. Some examples of legal translation and interpreting services TLC provides include contractual documentation, expert witness testimony, patent translation, certified translation, interpreting for depositions and meetings, and audio and video transcription. TLC also has its own website dedicated to personal document translation, which covers a variety of licenses and certificates for individuals.
• Training/Education
Translating training and educational content, like manuals and handbooks, is an ideal way to communicate with employees to maximize comprehension. This makes the learning process more accessible and effective for everyone. The TLC team bridges any gaps in understanding and creates and adapts world-class learning solutions.
There are many other industries and departments within companies that benefit from hiring a professional language services provider like TLC. This includes government agencies, software development companies, life sciences, retail and e-commerce companies, banking and finance firms, tourism and travel agencies, and the art and entertainment industry.
TLC provides professional language services the way they should be: Easy, affordable, and tailored to a business’s needs. TLC not only determines a company’s specific requirements but also employs a system for continuous improvement of quality assurance.
To learn more about how TLC can support your company’s language needs, visit www.tlctranslation.com.
If you live in the United States, you’ve probably heard the phrases a dime a dozen, it’s raining cats and dogs,and ignorance is bliss. But every country has its own set of figurative language and this blog will explore some of the more common idioms in various countries.
An idiom is a group of words whose meanings cannot be determined from the literal meanings of the words it is made of; i.e., using up in the air for “undecided.” They are categorized as figurative language. The word itself comes from the late 16th-century French word idiome or late Latin from Greek idiōma “private property, peculiar phraseology.”
One of the oldest known idioms is “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” which comes from the code of Hammurabi in 1780 BC.
• A dime a dozen – this phrase began around 1800 following the first minted dime in 1796. At that time, many goods such as eggs or apples were advertised to cost a dime a dozen in the US. The phrase began as a way to promote good value for money. This then evolved into an idiom that means something nearly worthless as it is easily available.
• It’s raining cats and dogs – this idiom is said to have originated in England during the 17th century. City streets were then filthy and heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals. Cats and dogs also have ancient associations with bad weather.
• Ignorance is bliss – this phrase comes from Thomas Gray’s 1768 poem “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.” The quote states: “Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise” — meaning, you’re better off not knowing.
Some idioms used by English speakers actually originated in China.
• 一石二鸟 translates to two birds one stone. English speakers added the word “kill” to the beginning because the phrase felt incomplete.
• 老狗玩不出新把戏 translates to old dogs can’t play new tricks. This phrase pretty closely mirrors the English idiom.
Here is a look at other popular idioms in other countries and their meanings.
• Arabic – التكرار يعلّم الحمار or At-Tikraar yu’allem al- Himaar, which means “practice makes perfect.”
• French – Coûter les yeux de la tête or to cost the eyes of the head, which translates to “cost an arm and a leg.”
• German – Um den heißen Brei herumreden or talk around the hot porridge. This translates to the English idiom “beat around the bush.”
• Italian – Ogni morte di papa or every death of a pope. This translates to the English idiom, “once in a blue moon.”
• Japanese – 手のひらを返す – te no hira wo kaesu meaning to flip over one’s hand or the English idiom “to turn a cold shoulder.”
• Polish – Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy or not my circus, not my monkeys. This idiom means “Not my problem,” in English.
• Spanish – Abrir la caja de los truenos or opening the box of thunder, which is equivalent to “opening a can of worms.”
• Swedish – Skägget i brevlådan or the beard in the mailbox, which translates in English to “to be caught with your pants down.”
And while idioms can be more challenging to translate, they are essential to individualistic expression. They offer cultural understandings of societal standards, principles, and beliefs and allow us insight into the thoughts, emotions, and views of the speaker’s background.
The best way to translate an idiom is to find an equivalent idiom in the target language.
Historical linguistics not only studies the history of languages, but also how languages change, and how they are related to one another. Jacob Grimm, of the Brothers Grimm, helped pave the way for historical linguistics.
The Brothers Grimm, born in 1785 and 1786, were German authors and academics who had passions for language and folklore. The two are considered among the most important German scholars of their time.
In 1816, Jacob and Wilhelm became librarians where they collected folklore and conducted literary research. The brothers had already begun writing their first collection of fairytales four years prior. Some of their more famous pieces include Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Rumpelstiltskin.
Between 1819 – 1837, Jacob began studying philosophy, working extensively on grammar. Jacob spoke for natural laws of sound change in various languages. He created bases for a method of research into relationships between languages and the development of meaning.
Jacob’s work on grammar had a huge influence on the study of linguistics. What resulted is known as Grimm’s Law or the First Germanic Sound Shift. This led to the creation of historical phonology as a separate discipline of historical linguistics. Grimm’s Law was a breakthrough in the science of linguistics.
In 1877, Karl Verner published Verner’s Law, a linguistic explanation of the exceptions to Grimm’s law. But Grimm’s Law first demonstrated the significant role that accent played in the linguistic change in Germanic languages.
Today, the most commonly studied areas of historical linguistics are:
• Etymology – the study of the reconstruction and origin of words.
• History tracing – recording the history of languages and grouping them into categories based on their similarities.
• Analyzing and describing multiple speech communities.
Grimm’s Law is important for historical linguistics because it demonstrates the principle that sound change is a regular phenomenon. It is not a random process affecting only some words, as had been thought previously.
To read more language blogs or learn more about Teneo Linguistics Company, visit www.tlctranslation.com.
In this digital age, many organizations are looking for quick solutions. Teneo Linguistics Company recognizes this and over the years has perfected its on-demand interpreting services.
Professional interpreting is a much-needed component of communication in today’s global marketplace. Whether a community event, a medical appointment, or a business interview, quick and professional interpreting services through TLC’s online system can be utilized by any company.
The platform allows customers to log in and schedule an interpreter for a face-to-face interpreting assignment or request immediate services over the telephone or via video.
Here’s a look at the benefits of each type of interpreting through the online portal:
• Video Remote Interpreting – The interpreting is done over a computer, tablet, or phone. This type of interpreting service is commonly used in the healthcare and corporate industries. It is beneficial in emergency situations due to its immediacy in connecting with an interpreter. VRI is typically more economical and ensures effective communication with the face-to-face factor.
• Over-the-Phone Interpreting (OPI) – Another budget-friendly interpreting service that allows an organization to preschedule an interpreter through a telephone call. Since most people have their cell phones readily available, this is another option to connect to a professional interpreter quickly.
The platform also collects and records data any time it’s used. This gives an entity more flexibility and fast resources as they control their own customized page.
TLC management provides every new customer with a demonstration of the platform, complete with a PowerPoint, and answers questions along the way. While the platform streamlines the interpreting process, customers are never left to fend for themselves. Clients always have direct access to TLC employees.
This modern, cloud-based system enables us to deliver high-value and lower-cost service.
And while this platform is a great option for many customers, TLC also offers on-site interpreting as well. There are two types of on-site interpreting:
• Simultaneous Interpreting – The interpreter listens and renders the message in the target language simultaneously as the speaker is speaking. Simultaneous interpreting is suitable for conferences and/or large meetings. TLC also provides the needed specialized interpreting equipment.
• Consecutive Interpreting – The interpreter speaks after the source-language speaker has stopped speaking. This is suitable for business meetings, press conferences, educational settings, and small groups.
Learn more about TLC’s professional interpreting services by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
There are about 7,000 languages spoken worldwide today. However, more than 2,000 languages are now considered endangered.
In early 2022, data released by the Endangered Languages Project showed there were 222 endangered/threatened languages in North/Central American countries, 226 in South American countries, 148 in Europe/Russia, 428 in Africa, 693 in Asia, and 733 in the Oceania countries.
There are several contributing factors as to why a language becomes endangered including war and genocide; natural disasters, famine, and disease; political repression; urbanization; and intermarriage.
But what are the criteria for a language to be deemed endangered?
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), there are varying degrees of endangerment. These are separated into categories:
Extinct – There exists no speaker of the language.
Critically endangered – The language is used mostly by very few speakers, of the great-grandparental generation.
Severely endangered – The language is used mostly by the grandparental generation and up.
Definitely endangered – The language is used mostly by the parental generation and up.
Unsafe – The language is used by some children in all domains; it is used by all children in limited domains.
Safe – The language is used by all ages.
The Guardian published a list of languages on UNESCO’s scale of endangerment. Here are some of the languages that are considered “critically endangered”:
• Hawaiian – This is a Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family that takes its name from Hawaiʻi, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed.
• Mayo – This is a Uto-Aztecan language. The language is spoken by less than 40,000 people, the Mexican Mayo or Yoreme Indians, who live in the South of the Mexican state of Sonora and in the North of the neighboring state of Sinaloa.
• Yakkha – This is a language spoken in parts of Nepal, the Darjeeling district, and Sikkim. The Yakkha-speaking villages are located to the East of the Arun River, in the southern part of the Sankhuwasabha district, and in the northern part of the Dhankuta district of Nepal.
• Northern Totonac – This is a Totonacan language cluster of Mexico, spoken across a number of central Mexican states by the Totonac people.
• Mūöt/Nancoury – This is a Nicobarese language spoken in the central Nicobar Islands. It is not mutually intelligible with the other Central Nicobarese languages and is distantly related to Vietnamese and Khmer.
• Nihali – This is a moribund language isolate that is spoken in west-central India, with approximately 2,000 people in 1991 out of an ethnic population of 5,000.
• Tchumbuli – A Guang language spoken by 2,000 to 3,000 people in Benin.
• Lanoh – This language is also known by the alternative name Jengjeng, and is an endangered aboriginal Aslian language spoken in Perak, a state of western Malaysia.
• Chuj (Mexico) – A Mayan language spoken by around 3,000 members in Mexico.
• Lokono (Guyana) – This is a Northern Arawakan language spoken in the peri-coastal areas of the Guianas (Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana). Today, in every Lokono village there remains only a small number of elderly native speakers.
• Saaroa – A Southern Tsouic language that is spoken by the Saaroa people, an indigenous people of Taiwan. It is a Formosan language of the Austronesian family.
• Talodi – A Niger-Congo language in the Talodi family of Kordofan, Sudan. Talodi is spoken in Tasomi and Tata villages.
• Xinca – A small extinct family of Mesoamerican languages, formerly regarded as a single language isolate, once spoken by the indigenous Xinca people in southeastern Guatemala, much of El Salvador, and parts of Honduras.
• Itzá – A Mayan language that is spoken by the Itza people near Lake Peten Itza in north-central Guatemala and neighboring Belize.
• Hértevin – A dialect of Northeastern Neo-Aramaic originally spoken by Chaldean Catholics in a cluster of villages in Siirt Province in southeastern Turkey.
• Ulch/Olcha – A Tungusic language spoken by the Ulch people in the Russian Far East.
• Iñapari – This is an indigenous South American language spoken by just four people in Perú along the Las Piedras River near the mouth of the Sabaluyoq river.
• Ottawa (Michigan) – This language is also known as the Odawa dialect of the Ojibwe language is spoken by the Ottawa people in southern Ontario in Canada, and northern Michigan in the United States.
• Northern Paiute (Oregon) – A member of the Uto-Aztecan language family. It is most closely related to the language of the Owens Valley Paiute and to Mono, spoken directly on the other side of the Sierra Nevada.
• Tlingit (United States of America) – The language of coastal Southeastern Alaska from Yakutat south to Ketchikan. The total Tlingit population in Alaska is about 10,000 in 16 communities with about 500 speakers of the language.
• Sauk-Fox – An Algonquian language, spoken by a thousand Meskwaki, Sauk, and Kickapoo in various locations in the Midwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
• Zazao – An Oceanic language spoken in the Solomon Islands. Its speakers live on Santa Isabel Island.
• Assiniboine (Canada) – A Nakotan Siouan language of the Northern Plains. The name Assiniboine comes from the term Asiniibwaan, from Ojibwe, meaning “Stone Siouans”.
Of course, this is just a small number of languages on UNESCO’s list.
But what is the importance of saving languages? When a language becomes extinct, a culture can be lost. Language is entrenched in a community – its stories, songs, poems, and heritage.
Ways individuals can help preserve endangered languages range from keeping and maintaining printed or written documentation of a language to promoting languages on social media, taking language courses, and teaching languages to children and others.
Teneo Linguistics Company has thousands of professional, experienced linguists in its database who are proficient in more than 180 languages. And the languages TLC offers continue to grow over time.
Learn more about how TLC can support language projects by visiting www.tlctranslation.com.
With more than 18,000 language services providers worldwide, it can be challenging to separate the great from the mediocre.
So where does Teneo Linguistics Company fall in this long list of vendors? This piece will discuss just some of the ways TLC stands above competitors in the language industry.
1. TLC doesn’t lean on larger corporations for support.
Customers have direct access to and work with TLC decision-makers.
Many language services providers out there are subsidiaries, which means they are under the direction of a parent company. TLC sets its own high-quality standards and is not just a cog in a large corporation’s machine.
2. Customers get the same level of systems and programs.
TLC is known for its excellent business practices and its use of a combination of human talent and AI software that rivals that of larger language service providers.
TLC excels in providing highly accurate and efficient technical translation services and is committed to quick turnarounds with a 100% on-time delivery rate. There are thousands of professional, experienced linguistics in TLC’s database who are proficient in more than 180 languages.
3. TLC provides language services to a wide range of industries.
The industries TLC serves include life science organizations, government agencies, manufacturing companies, legal firms, and education/e-learning.
Life Sciences – Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, hospitals, medical offices, etc.;
Government – Federal and state government, public health, law enforcement, and local government;
Manufacturing – Medical device and pharmaceutical distributors, software, construction, electronics, materials, etc.;
Legal firms – Company legal counsel, law offices, and individual attorneys;
Education and E-learning – Educational materials within any business and public education testing materials.
Individuals in the community needing translations are also a big part of TLC’s customer base. This primarily consists of personal document translation for official purposes.
TLC can translate a variety of personal documents, including birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, academic transcripts, driver’s licenses, passports, and medical records.
4. Services are tailored and performed by hand-picked staff
TLC tailors its language services to fit a client’s individual needs without pressure from a holding company. This also allows TLC to carefully select its global linguists and other employees to ensure the highest quality of language services. No one has a say in the hiring process except TLC management.
Teneo Linguistics Company is a certified small, woman-owned business specializing in translation and interpreting services in more than 180 languages.
Today is International Translation Day, which is celebrated each year on September 30th. This day honors the work of language professionals who play an important role in bringing nations together.
As the United Nations puts it: “Professional translation — including translation proper, interpretation, and terminology — is indispensable to preserving clarity, a positive climate, and productiveness in international public discourse and interpersonal communication.”
But why is International Translation Day celebrated on this particular day?
September 30th marks the feast of Saint Jerome who is known for translating the Bible into Latin. His translation of the Bible is still used to this day by the Catholic Church. It also set the standard 1,200 years later for the King James Version. In addition, he translated parts of the Hebrew Gospel into Greek.
St. Jerome was a priest in Northeastern Italy. He learned Latin in school and was fluent in Greek and Hebrew, which he picked up from his studies and travels. He is considered the Patron Saint of translators, librarians, and scholars.
St. Jerome passed away near Bethlehem on September 30, 420.
The United Nationals General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution proclaiming September 30th as International Translation Day on May 24, 2017. The International Federation of Translators as well as several other organizations advocated for the adoption of the resolution.
Those other organizations include the International Association of Conference Interpreters, Critical Link International, International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters, Red T, and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters.
In addition, International Translation Day promotes and celebrates multilingualism and how languages play a vital role in society.
The role of language professionals has become invaluable in connecting nations and fostering peace. Each year, a unifying theme is selected for International Translation Day. This year’s theme is “A World Without Barriers.”
Teneo Linguistics Company has thousands of professional and experienced linguists who are proficient in more than 180 languages. Today, TLC honors all of its hard-working language professionals and all translators and interpreters across the globe.
Doing business in Canada, some may not know that Quebec has its own set of rules when it comes to translation. The Charter of the French Language was adopted by the Quebec government in 1977. The law was passed in order to preserve the quality of the French language, which was deemed the majority language among residents.
The Charter states that all inscriptions on products and accompanying documentation — commercial publications, public signs, public posters, and commercial advertising — must be translated into French. More specifically, this includes catalogs, flyers, brochures, websites, social media accounts, contracts, invoices, promotional bags, and employee uniforms.
The following additional rules apply to all businesses no matter how big or small they are.
Registered trademarks are NOT required to be translated into the French language unless a French version of the trademark is already registered.
French must be used in written documents and messages intended for employees in general, including those posted in the workplace. However, versions of these official documents and messages in English or another language are also allowed as long as the French stands out.
Businesses must have a French version of their websites if the company has a Quebec address and/or it sells its products and services to residents of Quebec.
Companies with 50 or more employees are required to use French in external and internal communication, work tools and/or documents, software, and computer technology.
In the event of a public emergency, French and English can both be used for signage. In addition, cultural and educational activities such as conferences and plays are not required to be in French. This goes for non-French media as well and some non-profit organizations.
An agency called the Office is responsible for enforcing the Charter of the French Language. Complaints must be filed through the Office.
The Charter has been amended more than six times since 1977 — each amendment controversial in Quebec.
Teneo Linguistics Company offers French translation and interpreting services that are affordable, efficient, and high-quality. TLC uses a network of highly qualified and experienced language professionals that have the highest standards in accuracy, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
TLC’s French business translation services cover all language needs during a company’s expansion. The professional translators used by TLC are native speakers and effectively navigate the cultural nuances of the language. They also have the ability to work with a variety of documents and software, and understand the semantics and structure of the French language.
