The Hermeneutic Circle as a Method for Analyzing Polysemous Units in Media Translation

The rapid growth of global media communication has increased the complexity of translating polysemous units. Their interpretation requires consideration of linguistic, pragmatic, and cultural contexts. This study aims to substantiate the hermeneutic circle as a methodological framework for analyzing and translating polysemous units in media discourse. To achieve this objective, the research examines the theoretical foundations of philosophical hermeneutics and their applicability to media translation, analyzes contemporary studies in translation and media linguistics, develops a methodological scheme for applying the hermeneutic circle to polysemous units, and identifies its practical implications for translation practice.
The research employs theoretical analysis, discourse analysis, componential semantic analysis, and comparative analysis of media texts and their translations. These methods enable the investigation of lexical, syntactic, pragmatic, and extralinguistic factors influencing the interpretation of polysemous units in authentic media discourse.
The findings demonstrate that the hermeneutic circle provides a systematic interpretative procedure based on continuous interaction between textual details and the overall communicative context. The proposed five-stage methodological framework facilitates the identification, contextual interpretation, cultural evaluation, and verification of translation decisions for polysemous units. The analysis also reveals that media translation requires the integration of linguistic, pragmatic, intertextual, and sociocultural dimensions to preserve the communicative function of the source text.
The study concludes that the hermeneutic circle represents an effective methodological instrument for improving the interpretation and translation of polysemous units in media discourse. The proposed framework contributes to translation studies by expanding the methodological basis of media translation and may be applied in translator training, professional translation practice, and further research on context-sensitive translation strategies.