Linguistic indicators differentiating translated and untranslated diplomatic discourse: A diachronic analysis of the United Nations General Debate (1946–2022)

• Elastic net regression identifies linguistic features of translation. • Translated UN texts show higher formality, abstractness, and information density. • Translation features lag behind in adopting language changes over time. • British and American English exhibit distinct named entity translation patterns. This study examines the linguistic features that distinguish translated from untranslated English diplomatic discourse at the United Nations General Debate (UNGD) and investigates whether these features change from 1946 to 2022 and vary in relation to English language varieties. The translation features identified by elastic net regression analysis suggest that translated texts exhibit higher levels of formality, abstractness, and informational density than untranslated texts, aligning with existing studies on translated language. Over time, the translated texts tend to lag behind untranslated speeches in terms of language change, supporting the notion that UN translation is a conservative language variety: UN translators tend to be slow in adopting innovative usages, preferring established variants. Varietal differences are also evident in relation to the selected translation features. These findings contribute to the understanding of translated language and underscore the importance of considering diachronic analysis and varietal influences in relation to the features of translated language.