Linguistic Exploration of Iloko-to-English Subtitles in the Film “Iti Mapukpukaw”

Abstract

This study examines the translation of Iloko dialogue into English subtitles in the Filipino animated film Iti Mapukpukaw. The research addresses the limited scholarship on Iloko-English audiovisual translation by analyzing the translation strategies used in the film’s official English subtitles. Using Vinay and Darbelnet’s model of translation and Nida’s Dynamic Equivalence Theory, the study investigates translation techniques, linguistic challenges, and the preservation of intended meaning. A qualitative descriptive design was employed. The dataset consisted of 196 Iloko and Iloko-mixed dialogue lines and their corresponding English subtitles from the official Netflix release of the film. Each dialogue-subtitle pair was coded based on Vinay and Darbelnet’s translation procedures. Among the 196 subtitle pairs analyzed, 181 employed oblique translation strategies while only 15 used direct translation. Findings reveal that oblique translation strategies, particularly modulation, equivalence, and adaptation, dominate the subtitles, while direct translation occurs less frequently. Literal translation was observed in structurally compatible expressions, whereas borrowing appeared mainly in proper names and place names. The analysis also identifies structural, cultural, pragmatic, and subtitle-mediated challenges that influenced translation choices. Despite these challenges, the subtitles generally preserved the intended meaning and communicative effect of the original dialogue. The findings suggest that Iloko-English subtitling in the film involves interpretive and meaning-oriented translation decisions rather than direct word-for-word translation.