Translation glossary creator

Translation Glossary Creator

What This Skill Does

Produces a structured source-language to target-language glossary of domain-specific terms, names, and recurring phrases to ensure consistent translation across an entire project.

When To Use This Skill

• At the start of a documentary, series, or long-form journalism project that will be translated into one or more languages
• When multiple translators or dubbing studios are working on the same project and need to use identical terminology
• When a subject area has specialised vocabulary — science, law, economics, medicine, military — where inconsistent translation could mislead the audience
• When revisiting an existing project for a new language version and need to lock terminology before any new translation work begins

What You Need To Provide

Required: A representative sample of source-language text — script excerpts, interview transcripts, or article sections totalling at least 300 words. The target language. The media format (documentary, news report, magazine article, podcast, etc.).

Optional: Names of key people, organisations, and locations that appear throughout the project. Any terms already translated and approved by the editorial team. Style preferences (e.g. formal register, region-specific spelling such as European vs. Latin American Spanish).

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Reads all provided source text and identifies every term likely to cause inconsistency: technical vocabulary, proper nouns, branded names, recurring thematic phrases, and any word with multiple plausible translations.
2. For each term, selects the most accurate and contextually appropriate target-language equivalent, noting when regional variants exist or when the term should be left untranslated.
3. Delivers the glossary in a clean two-column table (source → target) with a short note for any entry that requires editorial judgement — for example, a term with no direct equivalent, or a name with an established local spelling.

Output Format

A two-column markdown table: Source Term | Target Translation. One row per term. After the table, a short Notes section explaining any flagged entries. Total length depends on source material but typically 20–60 rows. Register and tone follow the project's editorial style. No footnotes or academic apparatus — written to be immediately usable by a translator or dubbing artist.

Quality Criteria

• Every term in the glossary appears in the source text provided
• Target translations are contextually accurate, not literal word-for-word substitutions where idiom differs
• Proper nouns (people, organisations, locations) are handled consistently and follow established local conventions where applicable
• Flagged entries include a plain-English note explaining the editorial decision required
• The glossary is free of duplicates and alphabetically ordered for quick lookup
• Verify with native speaker before broadcast

Example

Input

Source language: English Target language: French Format: TV documentary (3-part series on urban food systems) Sample text:

"The city's food sovereignty movement gained traction after the 2019 supply-chain disruption. Community land trusts began converting vacant lots into urban farms, while food hubs — centralised distribution points run by cooperatives — took over from traditional wholesalers. The mayor's office launched a 'farm-to-table' initiative to link smallholders directly to school canteens. Critics argue the programme prioritises optics over food justice for the city's low-income neighbourhoods."

Additional terms to include: food sovereignty, urban farm, food hub, supply chain, community land trust, smallholder, farm-to-table, food justice, cooperative, wholesaler, canteen, low-income neighbourhood.

Output

Project Glossary — Urban Food Systems Documentary

Language pair: English → French Prepared for: Series translation and dubbing

Source Term (EN)	Target Translation (FR)
canteen	cantine
community land trust	foncière solidaire
cooperative	coopérative
farm-to-table	de la ferme à la table
food hub	hub alimentaire
food justice	justice alimentaire
food sovereignty	souveraineté alimentaire
low-income neighbourhood	quartier populaire
smallholder	petit exploitant agricole
supply chain	chaîne d'approvisionnement
supply-chain disruption	rupture de la chaîne d'approvisionnement
urban farm	ferme urbaine
vacant lot	terrain vague
wholesaler	grossiste

Notes

community land trust → foncière solidaire: No standard French equivalent exists. "Foncière solidaire" is the term used by French urban policy organisations and will be recognised by informed viewers. An on-screen text explanation is recommended on first use.

farm-to-table: The phrase is increasingly used as-is in French media contexts, particularly in lifestyle journalism. If the editorial team prefers a fully French version, "de la ferme à la table" is the standard rendering. Confirm with the series editor.

low-income neighbourhood → quartier populaire: Preferred over the more clinical "quartier à faibles revenus," which does not reflect natural French editorial usage. Consistent with public broadcaster style guides.

food hub → hub alimentaire: "Hub" is an established anglicism in French logistics and food-system journalism. No substitution recommended.

Known Limitations

• The assistant identifies terms from the sample text provided; terms that appear only in sections not shared will be missed. Provide as broad a sample as possible.
• Regional variation is flagged but not automatically resolved — a French glossary does not distinguish between French, Belgian, and Swiss usage without explicit guidance. Specify the target region.
• The assistant cannot verify whether a proposed translation matches an organisation's existing official terminology. Always cross-check proper nouns against the organisation's own French-language materials.
• Always verify the complete glossary with a native-speaker translator before distribution to dubbing studios or external translators.

Related Skills

• voice-over-translator
• subtitle-translator
• article-translator