Mincing words? Maybe it's not such a bad thing.

 

Hey there, welcome back to another edition of Borderless. 

 

Today's topics: the benefits and technicalities of translation memory, the ways people use diminutives to add a bit of charm into language, where to see this year's top global websites, and more. Let's go!

What is translation memory (TM) and why it matters 🗄️

 

If you find yourself citing the same data repeatedly to your team, before long you'll store it in a file that's quick to access instead of pulling it from scratch every time. Your translation memory serves the same purpose within your localization process.

 

A TM is a database of previous translations that you can reuse as needed, giving you cost savings, faster translation cycles, and greater consistency. This key asset helps grow your ROI from localization over time! 

 

In this latest blog article, you'll find out how to create and manage a TM effectively, how to use it in practice, and where the technology came from in the first place.

At what point did you realize your pet's name didn't capture them in all their infinite cuteness? Did you tack on an -ie, -ito, -eenie, or -etta to the end to help express your zealous affection for them?

People across ages and cultures went through a similar dilemma when addressing their friends, loved ones, or anything adorable and tiny in general. When adjectives fail, we use diminutives to characterize things as a cuter, smaller, or slighter version of the original.
 
Almost every language has some form of diminutive; here are some examples from around the world:
 
🇪🇸 Spanish: use -ito or -ita as suffixes; perro → perrito or señora  → señorita

 
🇬🇧 English: add -ie, -y, and -o to the end, as in birdie, doggy, and kiddo, or use a prefix like "mini".

 
🇫🇷 French: try -ette for feminine things (fille  → fillette) or -et or -ot for masculine nouns (livre  → livret, chien  → chiot)

 
🇮🇹 Italian: -ello/a, -etto/a, -ino/a are common endings, as seen in fiumicello, Paoletta, or fratellino. Try doubling them up, like this: casa + etta + ina = casettina.

 
🇷🇺 Russian: Here, it gets complicated. Layers of suffixes and word clipping can result in various diminutives, each with their own nuances - mama (mom) can become mamochka, mamulya, mamen'ka, or mamanya! Nicknames are often difficult to connect to the original (Aleksander  → Sashka)

 
🇨🇳 Chinese: While you can use suffixes like 儿 (-ér), you can also repeat syllables or words: 猫 (māo - cat) → 猫猫 (māo māo - kitty). So cute.

  

Translators working with diminutives need a keen understanding of the source and target languages to accurately convey the descriptive and emotional nuances, the level of playfulness, and rhythmic flow.

 

The world needs more cuteness, so be sure to use some diminutives today!

It's that time of year again; the 21st annual Web Globalization Report Card is here! 

One key takeaway: these top 25 companies support around 65 languages, whereas most global websites support 35.

 

Get the full breakdown here.

With the continued increase in global content volumes, localization teams are compelled to keep pace while keeping ROI high. AI is proving crucial in filling these gaps, leading to constant changes in our roles, workflows, and the tools we use.

 

So, what does the future hold? 

 

The second best thing to a crystal ball is our webinar on Tuesday, where  Lokalise's leading product manager A dam Šoltys will show you the lay of the land, and cover trends like:

• ✅ The rise of custom AI models and why generic is no longer enough.

• ✅ How linguists are evolving into reviewers, prompt engineers, and strategic quality owners.

• ✅ Why context-aware AI is essential for accurate, brand-aligned output.

• ✅ What makes post-editing the new core skill for scaling global content. 

Don't be a square, join us!

Whether you're a Lokalise user or not, and whatever your role, we'd love your insights.

Alright, enough words. I'll wrap it up here before I lose you.

 

Thanks for reading – we'll see you again in 2 weeks!