English Nominal Clauses: Analyzing the Translation of Subordinate wh – Interrogative Clauses and Infinitive wh - Clauses in Azeri

Abstract

This paper considers the Azeri translation of English nominal clauses with subordinate wh –interrogative clauses in complex sentences. Moreover, in this research, infinitive wh – clauses have been studied. Based on Quirk et alʼs classification of nominal clauses (clauses approximating in function noun phrases) ,they fall into six major categories: That –clause or subordinate declarative clauses, Subordinate interrogative clauses, Subordinate exclamative clauses, Nominal relative clauses, To - infinitive clauses and Ing clauses. An infinitive wh – clause can be formed with all wh –words. The infinitive clause has an obligational sense .In this paper, the data are drawn from studies based on the English – Azeri translated fictions. According to the results of the present study, 78% of these sentences in Azeri, translated as simple sentences involving verbal combinations, 12% translated as simple sentences without verbal combinations, 6% translated as complex sentences and 4% translated as compound sentences. Regarding the structures involving infinitive construction, the findings indicate that 68% translated as simple sentences consisting verbal combinations, and 32% translated as complex sentences. It can be said that, in Azeri, there is a tendency of using simple sentences instead of compound or complex ones. The results of this research also show that there are some mistranslations regarding the nominal clauses involving both wh –interrogative and infinitive constructions, due to ignoring of the "obligational sense of these clauses in Azeri translation, the percentage of these mistranslations is 86%. In this research, the most frequent wh –interrogative word used in original texts, is "what" in 32 sentences and the least one, is "whom" in 7 sentences, in addition, the most frequent wh – interrogative word used in subordinates involving both wh – words and infinitive construction in original texts is "how" with the percentage of 53% and the least one is "where" with the percentage 11%.