How much meaning is conveyed and how much is lost when a word is translated through three or more languages? A Domrath speaks this year for his "tribe." Whatever word he uses for "tribe" is translated by the computer into Eriau "maddeuth." However, the computer warns that this interpretation is debateable. Flandry renders "maddeuth" into Anglic as "tribe" but knows that this is not a close equivalent. Finally, we are reading all this in English which is where the word "tribe" belongs! We had previously been told that, within their Vachs, Merseians live in families and tribes but must now take into account that they say not "tribe" but "maddeuth" which is not a close equivalent. Meanwhile, the Merseian xenological team must study further to learn what the Domrath really means.
6 comments:
And English "tribe" is a borrowing from Latin ("tribus") via Old French.
The word in English failing that would be "folk", in its original sense of "group which feels a common identity".
In Old English, "folk" could mean, eg., "the English", or "X's folk" -- that's a common source of early English place-names, the "folk" who followed some chief across the North Sea in the original Anglo-Saxon migrations.
They in turn might be people from his neighborhood on the Continent... plus wandering adventurers, warriors who'd come to pledge him troth, etc.
"Folk" in turn is from a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "to fill up", often used as a synonym for "group" -- Latin "plebe" comes from the same root.
And the PIE source of "tribe" meant "dwelling" or "those who live together in a dwelling" (aka 'extended family').
Of course I should have gone back to Latin and, if I had known it, PIE.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And "folk" reminded me of German "volk." Same basic root meanings and origins.
Ad astra! Sean
Poul did a little chemistry essay in a hypothetical form of English without Latin loan-words -- "Uncleftish Beholding", IIRC.
It was a hoot, in a very learned way.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Amen! I've read it as well, more than once.
I wonder what Tolkien would have thought of it?
Ad astra! Sean
I was delighted with "Uncleftish Beholding" when I first read it in the mid-December 1989 Analog.
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