Language varies significantly across cultures in its handling of sensitive or taboo topics. Euphemism, the substitution of milder terms for offensive ones, is a common strategy to navigate such topics while maintaining politeness and avoiding offense. This study focuses on the translation of private body part-related taboo words (PBPRTW) from English into Arabic subtitles for Hollywood films. The global reach of Hollywood films and the significant cultural differences between the source (liberal Western culture) and target (conservative Arab culture) languages make this area of translation particularly interesting. The study aims to understand how Arab subtitlers manage PBPRTW, considering the impact of cultural sensitivity and linguistic adaptation in audiovisual translation. Specifically, the study investigates the extent to which PBPRTW are maintained or euphemized in Arabic subtitles, identifies the euphemism strategies employed, and explores whether the function of the taboo word is reflected in the subtitling choices. The study also acknowledges previous research on euphemism strategies, but emphasizes the lack of focused research on PBPRTW translation into Arabic, specifically within the context of film subtitling.

Existing research has examined taboo word translation and euphemism strategies in various contexts. Studies such as Torres-Cuenca (2016) on English-Spanish subtitling, Koponen (2018) on swear words, and Khoshsaligheh et al. (2018) on Iranian fansubbing of taboo words, have provided valuable insights. However, these studies often lacked the specific focus on PBPRTW and the Arabic language. While research on euphemism (Williams, 1975; Warren, 1992; Al-Khasawneh, 2018; Rabab'ah and Al-Qarni, 2012) exists, much of it is monolingual or focuses on spoken, rather than written, Arabic. Studies using corpus software to examine taboo translation in English-Arabic subtitling (Abdelaal and Al Sarhani, 2021; Al-Zgoul and Al-Salman, 2022; Abu-Rayyash et al., 2023; Haider et al., 2023) have also provided valuable data, but often focused on broader categories of profanity or used limited datasets. This study addresses these gaps by focusing specifically on PBPRTW in a large corpus of Hollywood films subtitled into Arabic, offering specialized insights into this under-researched domain. The study also considers the impact of the diglossia of Arabic, referring to the distinct use of formal (MSA) and informal language varieties within the language.

This study employed a corpus-based approach using a parallel corpus of 75 Hollywood films (Appendix A) subtitled into Arabic. Film selection followed six criteria: genre diversity, availability of Arabic subtitles, IMDB rating (5/10 or higher), awards recognition, release date (2000-2018), and selection of only one film from multi-part series. Seven euphemism strategies were identified, drawing on previous research (Al-Adwan, 2015; Davies, 2003; Farghal 1995; Williams, 1975; Warren, 1992): widening, metaphorical transfer, implication, metonymy, semantic misrepresentation, omission, and preservation. A pilot study on two films refined strategy selection. Data extraction involved converting subtitles to plain text (SubRip), aligning English and Arabic subtitles, and uploading to Sketch Engine for corpus analysis. Sketch Engine's concordance feature identified PBPRTW based on lemma, removing non-taboo terms. Only PBPRTW appearing more than 150 times were analyzed due to the sheer volume of data, focusing on four functions: descriptive, abusive, referential, and idiomatic. Two PhDs in translation studies validated the classification of taboo functions and euphemism strategies. Quantitative analysis (frequencies and percentages) determined the extent of euphemism and maintenance of PBPRTW. Qualitative analysis, using Toury's (2012) pair group method, examined subtitling patterns and underlying reasons.

The study identified 1101 instances of PBPRTW, primarily 'ass' (45%), 'dick' (25%), 'asshole' (18%), and 'balls' (13%). These words served four functions: descriptive (40%), abusive (30%), referential (16%), and idiomatic (14%). Overall, 95% of PBPRTW were toned down, euphemized, or omitted in the Arabic subtitles, while only 5% were maintained (Figure 1). Seven euphemism strategies were used (Table 1). The most frequent strategy overall was widening (21%), followed by metaphorical transfer (35%). The descriptive function most often used the widening strategy (45%), where general terms replaced specific taboo words. The abusive function predominantly used metaphorical transfer (75%), replacing taboo insults with similar but culturally appropriate terms. The referential function most commonly employed metonymy (72%), substituting pronouns for taboo terms. The idiomatic function frequently utilized metaphorical transfer (70%), conveying the meaning without the taboo word. Tables 2-5 provide detailed information on euphemism strategy use across different functions. The study also revealed that the Arabic word choice often resulted in greater ambiguity and implicitness than the English, sometimes obscuring the original meaning for the sake of cultural appropriateness. The use of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in subtitling further contributed to the toning down of profanity.

The findings show a strong influence of cultural norms on the subtitling of PBPRTW. The significant reduction in explicit taboo words reflects the conservative nature of Arab culture compared to the source culture represented in the Hollywood films. The correlation between euphemism strategies and the function of taboo words suggests that subtitlers strategically select strategies to mitigate the offensiveness while preserving the intended meaning. The use of MSA, a formal register, also plays a crucial role in euphemization. The study's implications are relevant for audiovisual translation, suggesting that subtitlers must balance maintaining the function of profanity with adapting to the target culture's sensitivities. The occasional loss of nuanced meaning (e.g., humor or intended emotional impact) highlight the complexities of translating such words between significantly different cultures.

This study demonstrates the significant impact of cultural norms on the translation of PBPRTW in Arabic subtitles. The preference for euphemism and omission over direct translation reflects cultural differences. The study highlights the need for subtitlers to balance cultural sensitivity with preserving the intended function of the taboo words. Future research could explore fansubbing practices, viewer perception of euphemized subtitles, and diachronic changes in subtitling practices. The study also underscores the importance of considering the intended meaning and function of taboo language in films beyond just the literal translation.

This study focused solely on officially released DVD film versions and did not include fansubs, potentially limiting the scope of subtitling practices explored. Future studies should include fansubs to gain a wider perspective. Another limitation is that the study only analyzed words that appeared over 150 times, potentially excluding less frequent but still significant instances. Finally, the lack of viewer feedback limits the understanding of how euphemism strategies affect audience perception and experience.