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Article published In: In Search of Round Trips: Travelling concepts in translation studies and beyond
Edited by Cornelia Zwischenberger
[Translation in Society 4:1] 2025
► pp. 40–57

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What ‘translation’ means to conceptual historians

ORCiD logo with link | Haliç University
Published online: 7 July 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tris.24014.ser
Abstract
A historical turn has taken place in translation studies (TS) lately and this study aims to examine the existence of a translational turn within conceptual history (CH). To this aim, it seeks to comprehend the evolution of the concept of translation, which is prone to interdisciplinary migration, within the discipline of CH. A conceptual historian investigates past experiences or expectations, how they have been transformed into concepts, and situates them within their historical context. This type of research typically focuses on languages and necessitates temporal and spatial transferences within or between them, inherently involving the phenomenon of translation. Since the establishment of the discipline, numerous scholars have referred to the concept of translation as a metaphorical, philosophical and practical issue by discussing the task of historians, translatability or translation of concepts and historical materials. The objective of this study is to deepen interdisciplinary dialogue by offering a structured presentation of these references, which are predominantly scattered across CH.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Translation as a travelling concept in conceptual history
  • 3.The (conceptual) historian as a translator
  • 4.The question of translatability
  • 5.Translation criticism as a prerequisite for historical analysis
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (45)
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