Shifting Meanings, Shifting Borders: The Evolution, Current Uses and Translation of Migration Terms in Türkiye

Abstract

Migration-related terminology in Türkiye has undergone rapid transformation, particularly since the mass arrival of Syrian refugees after 2011, leading to intensified discursive and translational contestation. This article examines the cross-linguistic circulation and transformation of migration-related concepts between English and Turkish through a socioterminological and conceptual-historical lens. Moving beyond text-bound analyses, it conceptualizes translation as a social practice participating in the reconfiguration of knowledge across linguistic and institutional contexts. Drawing on Gaudin’s socioterminology and insights from conceptual history, the study investigates how key migration terms are reshaped as they travel across academic, institutional, and media domains. Combining qualitative analysis with small-scale corpus evidence drawn from institutional, academic, and media texts, the article demonstrates that translation contributes to the recontextualization of migration discourse. The findings show that conceptual meanings are negotiated across contexts, highlighting the role of institutions and discourse communities in mediating between international frameworks and local socio-political realities.