Lessons in Language — Studio Zed

The illustrated children’s book that we are working on for Hunter Water is set to be distributed throughout schools across the Hunter region and will have key phrases and words translated into either Awabakal or Gathang (a dialect of the Worimi). Schools residing on Awabakal Country will be given the Awabakal version and those on Worimi Country, the Gathang version.

Last week, we had Saretta Fielding and Andrew Smith (CEO of Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council), visit Studio Zed and share information with us about the appropriate use of language.

One of the first things that we learnt is there are many dialects of languages and the knowledge gained through conversations was fascinating; making us realise just how crucial graphic design is in this process. There was never any traditional way of the written word, so “translating” into a written context in itself is problematic because often there is no consensus on the spelling.

Even the word Gathang as written above which was copied from Andrew’s notes, is spelled in different ways. When searched online, alternate spellings including Gadjang and Kattang are found and there are sure to be other variations.

The implications for the book we are working on are therefore quite substantial. Not only from design, layout and typography points of view, but also culturally because as Andrew pointed out, what gets distilled in this book is what some people may think is definitive of particular spellings and sounds (even though this is not the intention). This then runs the risk of degradation (i.e. watering down), anglicised (made into English) and even dismissive or controversial to others who make use of different spellings. Striking a balance is difficult, but work is being done by the community to find consensus.

For Awabakal language, the Miromaa Aboriginal Language and Technology Centre, has produced reference resource “An Australian Language as it was spoken by the Awabakal”, a reproduction of a 1923 resource. To translate into Awabakal though, one needs to be sure of the context as words often change form depending on their context. This is common of many languages and something we forget when we only speak English. I was surprised to learn there is no distinct separate word for love in Awabakal, which is a bit problematic for the Hunter Water branding of “Love Water”. This doesn’t mean that love doesn’t exist for Awabakal speaking people, but that the concept of love is treated in a totally different way to the way we treat it in the English-speaking world. This is eye-opening and enriching to learn about.

Why is all this so important for designers?

Because word lengths can change when you translate and this affects layout and spacing on the page in relation to images because we are replacing words and not whole sentences. Sometimes the placement of that word within the sentence can become incorrect when translated, so consulting experts is of key importance. When replacing words, rather than whole sentences, we also need to consider the appropriate visual treatment of that word, especially when our audience is primary school children, who are in an educational environment, where they are learning to read, learning a little bit of traditional language and hopefully through this book, learning to value and love water.

Marrungbu (thank you) Andrew and Saretta; for sharing with us and encouraging us to think and see through a culturally sensitive lens.

Author: Simone O’Callaghan