Language Complexity

Language is complex. It’s fairly straightforward to translate an email from one party to another describing a payment to a third-party intermediary that coincides with a discussion on the timing of a sale of assets. However, depending on the language, colloquialisms and slang can dramatically influence the interpretation and context of the document text.

This is heightened by lingo that is prevalent across SMS, chat, social media and other newer communication vehicles.

For example, in English, lingo-savvy professionals might easily discern “afaik” as “as far as I know,” “nething2+” as “anything to add?” and “pcm” as a request to “please call me.” But what about an email in another language that contains obscure slang, or the chat message that contains a messaging style commonly known only to the speakers of the native country? How does one capture innuendo that could indicate improper conduct?