tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83643412607520804872024-03-13T03:20:56.811-07:00The Blood of SoulsVincenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688509166643451425noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364341260752080487.post-33683705261535467972013-01-19T01:59:00.001-08:002013-01-19T01:59:18.001-08:00The weeping of the Cicadas Part 2: Do they weep or sing? That is the question.
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><u>The weeping of the Cicadas Part 2: Do they weep or sing?
That is the question.<o:p></o:p></u></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As stated in my previous post,” <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">The weeping of the Cicadas. Part 1: The name
of a bug</span></b>” having decided to stick with <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicada</span></b> as the translation for<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;"> alisi</span></b> I
now needed to look at the translation of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">fetagisi </span></b>and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;"> tagi</span></b>. This problem was a bit more complex due to
cultural differences. As mentioned in my previous post I had initially
translated<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="color: red;">fetagisi </span></i></b>as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">weeping</span></i></b>. However, thinking about it made me
realise that in English, people refer to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicadas</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span>as<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="color: blue;">singing</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;"> r</span>ather than weeping or crying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The view of the cicadas as singing is one that applies
throughout Europe regardless of language. While I am not one hundred percent
certain of this I am basing this statement on my knowledge of French as well as
the well known La Fontaine's Fable “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">La Cigale et la fourmi</span></b>” which was adapted in the 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>
Century from the much more ancient Aesop's Fables (at least 2,300 years
earlier).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just for the record: Yes, I am aware of
the contention as to the origin of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aesop’s Fables</i></b> and the similarity
with fables in the Ancient Indian <b><i>Panchatantra</i></b>, however, I am not
going to discuss the issue of who influenced who or if these stories emerged
simultaneously in Greece and India as some suggest since that would be going way
off course although I must admit that the whole issue is quite fascinating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">The reason I raised La Fontaine’s Fable of</span> “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">La Cigale et la fourmi</span></b> “ <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">is because</span> of <span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">some interesting issues that arise
from it in relation to the translation issue at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First of all it is upon the widespread knowledge of this fable
throughout Europe and its translation into other European languages which I
base my statement that in Europe the cicada is seen as singing since in the
fables (Aesop and La Fontaine) the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Cigale</span></b> spends all summer<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> singing</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The second issue which I found fascinating was that although<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;"> cigale</span></b>
is translated as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicada</span></b> in English. The fable is usually translated in English
as:<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"> The
Grasshopper and the Ant</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Now <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">a
grasshopper</span></b> is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">une sautrelle</span></b> in French while a cricket is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">un grillon</span></b>.
A locust is given as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">une locuste</span></b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">une sautrelle</span></b> which makes sense
given the fact that as I noted in my previous post “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">The Weeping of the Cicadas. Part 1: The Name of
a bug</span></b>” that under certain conditions certain species of grasshoppers
become locusts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole transformation
thing is indeed quite fascinating especially in how certain conditions trigger
morphological and behavioural changes. From what I have gathered it starts with
changes in neuromorphology</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">which in turn triggers physiological and behavioural
changes. But as intriguing as this is I will resist talking about it and
promise to cover it soon in my blog <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">Flora and Fauna – Plants and Critters</span></b> which is
the appropriate place for such a topic. Besides to date that blog has been too
heavily on plants and very light on animals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But back to the issue of the cicadas in relation to the fable of “The
Grasshopper and the Ant” which in French is something quite different from the
English. I did a bit of research and sure enough the anomaly applies to other
European languages.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Strangely it appears that the Latin languages (such as French, Italian
and Spanish) use the word for cicada while the Germanic Languages (such as German,
Dutch, Swedish, Danish and English) refer to a grasshopper. The reason for
these very distinct families of languages choosing a different insect in the
fable is, is a mystery to me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are the translations to illustrate the difference:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;">French: </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT" style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: IT;">La cical e la formi</span></b><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;">Italian: </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT" style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: IT;">La cicala e la formica</span></b><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;">Spanish: </span><b><i><span lang="ES" style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: ES;">La cigarra y la hormiga</span></i></b><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">English: <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT" style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: IT;">The Grasshopper
and the Ant</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="NL-BE" style="mso-ansi-language: NL-BE;">Dutch: </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IT" style="color: red; mso-ansi-language: IT;">De mier en de sprinkhaan</span></b><span lang="NL-BE" style="mso-ansi-language: NL-BE;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">German: <b><span style="color: red;">Die Ameise und die Heuschrecke</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Danish: <b><span style="color: red;">Den
dovne græshoppe</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Swedish: <b><span style="color: red;">Myran och Grasshopper</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(German)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heuschrecke = Grasshopper/
locust <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(German) Grashüpfer = grasshopper<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="DE" style="mso-ansi-language: DE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(German)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zikade / Zirpe = cicada<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Danish) græshoppe = grasshopper</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Danish) cikade = cicada</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Dutch) cicade = cicada</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Dutch) sprinkhaan=grasshopper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Swedish) cicada = cicada</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Swedish) gräshoppa = grasshopper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(French) cigale = cicada</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(French) sautrelle = grasshopper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Italian)
cavalletta<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>=grasshopper/locust</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Italian) cigala = cicada<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Spanish) Saltamontes = grasshopper<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Spanish) cigala = cicada<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It would be interesting to discover if the choice in insect has a
similar linguistic bias in other language families.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now getting back to the Samoan-English translation issue of weeping
versus singing, I found it interesting that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">G.B.Milner’s Samoan Dictionary</b> uses the following example under the
entry in the Samoan-English section:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Na sau ia i le tagi o <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ā</span>lisi: He came at the time when
the cicadas begin to chirp</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not sure why given the cultural association throughout
European languages of cicadas as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">singing</b>
that Milner used the word “chirp”. “Chirp” just does not go with that sound. Baby
birds’ chirp, even crickets might chirp but ... “chirp” just does not capture
the ethereal yet chthonic susurration that cicadas make. It’s a light airy song
that pulsates with a raw power that seems to come from the depths of the earth
itself and overwhelms everything. (And yes I have been dying to use the word
susurration).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is no wonder that in ancient Greco
Roman culture the cicadas were a symbol of immortality and resurrection. To
them the cicada was an ancient symbol with multiple meanings including spiritual
realisation and spiritual ecstasy. They believed that the cicadas which were
sacred to Apollo sang in intoxicated ecstasy related to that of the dionysaic
bacchae and maenad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now before I finish I just want to clarify something. The Samoan
words<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;"> tagi</span></b>
and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">fetagisi </span></b>have
a similar meaning to the English words <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cry </span></i></b>and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"> crying</span></i></b> in that aside from the cry as in sounds
of sorrow and tears it can also mean to cry as in make a noise in general or in
pain or joy. In this case a direct translation of the term <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">fetagisi alisi </span></b>would be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">the cries of the alisi</span></i></b>.<span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So the question is: what translation would be most accurate? Or perhaps
we should ask: what translation would be more appropriate?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think that as Economists love to say: It all depends.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Because it does! If you want to get the meaning across you would refer
to “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">the cicadas singing”.</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> If you wanted to do a literal
translation you might go with “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">the cries of the
cicadas</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">” or if
you want to be more lyrical or evocative of sorrow for some reason, you could
go with “</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">the weeping of the cicadas</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">” or some other translation
depending on what your intention is.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">In my case I needed it for a title of something I was writing which evoked
that moment at dusk when the cicadas started to sing but which for me as a
child I thought of as weeping hence the title which I originally came up with
and ended up sticking with, </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">“The Weeping of the
Cicadas.”</span></i></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="FR" style="mso-ansi-language: FR;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some interesting facts:<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">La Fontaine’s</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><i>Fables</i></b> written by Jean de la
Fontaine were which were published in several volumes between 1668 to 1694 CE are
classics of French Litterature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b>Aesop's Fables</b> also known as the<b> Aesopica</b> is a
collection of fables attributed to Aesop believed to have lived in Ancient
Greece between 620 and 560 BCE.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <b><i>Panchatantra </i></b>is an Indian collection of
animal fables whose written Sanskrit origins are believed to date from the 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
Century BCE and are based on older oral sources including the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Buddhist Jataka Tales</b>.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Additional
details:<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For a fascinating discussion of La Fontaine's Fables adaptation
of Aesop's “the Grasshopper and the Ant” in his “La cigale et la fourmi” and
its relevance to the <i>ancien regime</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">
visit </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue209/cigale.html">http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue209/cigale.html</a> <a href="http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue209/cigale.html" target="_blank">http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue209/cigale.html</a></span><br />
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<b><span lang="FR" style="color: #000055; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 15.5pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">La Cigale et la fourmi<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="FR" style="color: #000055; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">by Jean de La
Fontaine<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="FR" style="color: #000055; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-NZ;">La cigale ayant chanté<br />
Tout l'été,<br />
Se trouva fort dépourvue<br />
Quand la bise fut venue :<br />
Pas un seul petit morceau<br />
De mouche ou de vermisseau.<br />
Elle alla crier famine<br />
Chez la fourmi sa voisine,<br />
La priant de lui prêter<br />
Quelque grain pour subsister<br />
Jusqu’à la saison nouvelle.<br />
« Je vous paierai, lui dit-elle,<br />
Avant l’août, foi d’animal,<br />
Intérêt et principal. »<br />
La fourmi n’est pas prêteuse :<br />
C’est là son moindre défaut.<br />
« Que faisiez-vous au temps chaud ?<br />
Dit-elle à cette emprunteuse.<br />
— Nuit et jour à tout venant<br />
Je chantais, ne vous déplaise.<br />
— Vous chantiez ? J’en suis fort aise :<br />
Eh bien ! Dansez maintenant. »<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Vincenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688509166643451425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364341260752080487.post-1918174506683683342012-11-18T04:59:00.004-08:002014-01-17T10:32:04.740-08:00The weeping of the Cicadas. Part 1: The Name of a Bug<b><u>The Weeping of the Cicadas. Part 1: The Name of a Bug</u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a translation issue that I raised a while ago on a
Linked in group <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fono Samoa</b> as well
as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Facebook</b>. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have been working on and off on a book entitled “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">The Weeping of the
Cicadas</span></b>” and wanted to check if my translation was correct. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Technically the title in Samoan is “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">A fetagisi alisi</span></b>”
which I would have translated as “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">When the cicadas weep</span></b>” but for lyrical reasons I exercised
my <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>poetic license to use “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">The Weeping of the
Cicadas</span></b>” which would probably translate as “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">O le tagi o alisi</span></b>” or perhaps more
accurately “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">O le
fetagisiga o alisi</span></b>”.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The title comes from the admonishment given by elders in Samoa
to children about being sure to return home in the evening before nightfall for
evening prayers.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Usually we were told “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ia e foi mai ae le’i
fetagisi alisi”</span></i></b> or alternatively “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ia e foi
mai pe a fetagisi alisi”</span></i></b> the first basically means to return
before the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>start
to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">fetagisi</span></i></b> while the second basically allows a
little bit more time in that you were to return once the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>started to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">fetagisi</span></i></b>.
Although the first version was most often the one used since everyone knows
that if you allow any room for interpretation, kids will find some way of
stretching things to fit. </span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The reason I did not translate<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <span style="color: red;">alisi</span></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> <span style="color: red;">fetagisi</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>above
is because these were the two words that were the ones that I found myself
wondering about for several reasons. Initially I translated them as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicadas weeping</span></i></b>. But then for each word I
realised that maybe I was wrong in my interpretation. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First of all there was the problem of what an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></i></b><span style="color: red;"> </span>was. All
I know is that was a bug that made this sound at dusk which as indicated was
the signal to be home or else -</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now the problem that I have found in the past not only with
translating words from Samoan to English or French to English and vice versa is
that sometimes not only do some words have several meanings which means that in
interpreting and translating you need to know which one is applies in that
specific instance as illustrated in the case of when is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">chateau</span></b> not a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">castle</span></b>? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">LINK</span></b>. In other cases one language
may lump a whole host of things under one word that in the other language are
very distinct and have separate words for </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This lumping of things under one word is the case with the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></i></b>. Like I said all I remember is that it was
a bug that made that noise at dusk. But lots of bugs do that. Well in this
specific case <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">crickets</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;">, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">grasshoppers</i></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>and
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicadas</span></i></b>. So I went hunting for them on-line
to find photos and what I found did not help resolve the problem that much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First I found crickets which looked like the bugs we used to
find teeming in the chicken shed especially in the feed storage room as well as
outside in the long grass. Back then we referred to these as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">mogamoga</span></i></b> which is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cockroach</span></i></b>.
Except in reality there are a number of bugs that get tagged with that label
which are not related to cockroaches at all (like the poor crickets which for
all this time I thought were a species of cockroach). Some are the big brown cockroaches
which are simply <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">mogamoga</span></b> while others are given a suffix to further identify
them like the black stink bug which is referred to as a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">mogomoga
sauga</span></i></b>. Although even in that case I have heard other types of
stink bugs called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">mogomoga sauga</span></i></b> so all that
really means is that it is a bug that smells bad. At least the black one is
actually a species of cockroach but the others that I have had the misfortune
of crossing that are a completely different species of insect. I think it would
be safe to say that they are not even of the same Order. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, since this is a blog about etymology rather than
entomology I’m not going to discuss the taxonomy of these critters. Maybe I
will cover it in my blog <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;"><u><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://plantsandcritters.blogspot.be/" target="_blank">Flora and Fauna –Plants and Critters</a></span></u></span></i></b> someday. So let us get back to identifying
the elusive<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">
alisi</span></b>. And they were elusive because whenever you tried to find them
they would all shut up and wait for you to go away before starting up again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So mistaking crickets for cockroaches was just the beginning
of the problem. I also found that grasshopper looking insects were another type
of cricket (it seems that sometimes the term gets used interchangeably by the
general public). </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The discovery that grasshoppers and cicadas are also referred
to as locusts did not help. Although following a bit more research I discovered
that while the term locust for cicadas is misnomer locusts are actually certain
types of grasshoppers which become locusts in certain conditions. That is their
behaviour and morphology radically changes and this transformation turns them
into locusts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
But</span> I
digress and as fascinating as that is ... I will have to cover that in the more
appropriately named<span style="color: red;"> <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://plantsandcritters.blogspot.be/" target="_blank"><b>Flora and Fauna – Plants and Critters</b></a></span><span style="color: black;"><b> </b>blog</span><b><span style="color: black;">.</span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So back to identifying the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></b>. The other creatures that fit
the bill were <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">grasshopers</span></b>.
We had lots of these too. And they were called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></b> or at least we called them that. I also found <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicadas</span></b>
which we also had and distinctly remember being called <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></b> as well.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I had three creatures which all made noise at dusk and
one was called a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">mogamoga</span></b> while the other two shared the title of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></b>. Incidently G.B.Milner’s Samoan Dictionary translates <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></b> as
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicada</span></b>
and<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"> cricket </span></b>but
strangely makes no mention of <b><span style="color: blue;">grasshoppers</span></b>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>To be completely honest I am still not sure if the crickets that we maligned by misidentifying
them as cockroaches are indeed called <b><span style="color: red;">mogamoga</span></b>, or if that was just our incorrect
name for them. I have found that often children use the wrong words for things
which can lead to problems in the future if these mistakes are not corrected. I
realise that language does change over time and that sometimes these changes
are due to such “mistakes” however, I will be looking just at such an issue in “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">There is no such
thing as Teine Sa: It is Telesa and Saumaiafe</span></b><span style="color: blue;">.</span>” Now again forgive me for getting side tracked and let us get
back to the mysterious <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span>.</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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I managed to find some sound files to compare the sounds
made by the crickets, grasshoppers and cicadas and the noise made by the
cicadas was the one that most closely resembled the one I was familiar with
which was an intense thrumming that heralded dusk and filled the air with its
intoxicating song. I remember always being annoyed that evening prayers
coincided with alisi prime time because usually by the time lotu afiafi was
over the alisi were silent. I loved listening to them because they had this almost
hypnotic effect that carried you to a state of awareness that I can only
compare to that reached through meditation. Interestingly I discovered that the
Ancient Greeks held the cicadas in high regard. But that alas I will also have
to consign covering that in my blog <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Flora and Fauna – Plants and Critters</span></b> and get back
to the subject at hand.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To cut to the chase after looking at all the information I
decided that I would use cicadas although that does not mean that crickets
would be incorrect. Also as you will see latter the whole “is an <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">alisi</span></b> a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cicada</span></b>
or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">cricket</span></b>
or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">grasshopper</span></b>
question” takes on a completely different and surprising dimension in <b><u>Part 2 of The Weeping of the Cicadas: To weep or to sing? That is the question.</u></b></span></div>
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<br />Vincenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688509166643451425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364341260752080487.post-55942675736137320802012-10-26T10:28:00.000-07:002012-11-08T11:42:33.273-08:00When is château not a castle?<h2>
When is château not a castle?</h2>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Grand-Bigard (French-Ch<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>teau de Grand-Bigrad /Dutch-Groot-Bijgaarden) is located in the village of Grand-Bigard in Flemish Brabant (7km west of Brussels) in Belgium.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O3b8perAQSk/UFjEeXqpgkI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/h1xStRHXstw/s1600/GrandBigard+IMG_6406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O3b8perAQSk/UFjEeXqpgkI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/h1xStRHXstw/s640/GrandBigard+IMG_6406.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #0000cc;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
<span style="color: #0000cc;"><strong>Above: View of the stone bridge and fortified gatehouse from the entrance to Grand-Bigard.</strong></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #0000cc;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: #0000cc;"><strong><o:p></o:p></strong></span></span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">After a visiting the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>Floralia Brussels</strong></i> at <i><strong>Ch<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>teau
Grand-Bigrad</strong></i>, I was doing some research to get some additional details
and information to include in my blog </span><span style="color: black;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><strong>Flora and Fauna - Plants and Critters</strong></i>
(</span><u><span style="color: red;">link to Flora and Fauna - Plants and Critters</span></u><span style="color: black;">)
regarding Grand-Bigard. The Grand-Bigard official website (</span><span style="color: red;">LINK</span><span style="color: black;">) is in Dutch, English, French, German and Japanese.
It was while reading the English version that I started to get confused because
the information on the Grand-Bigard official website (and elsewhere) referred
to the large main palace-like structure built in the 17<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> century as
the “</span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>castle” </strong></span></i><span style="color: black;">and the older 30 meter high tower built
in the 12<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> Century with 2 meter thick walls as the </span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>dungeon</strong></span></i><span style="color: black;">.</span></div>
</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQTiy7z3iVE/UFjEF_0K-JI/AAAAAAAAAV4/A1O5oTvln-s/s1600/GrandBigard+IMG_6419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQTiy7z3iVE/UFjEF_0K-JI/AAAAAAAAAV4/A1O5oTvln-s/s640/GrandBigard+IMG_6419.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0000cc;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Above: The Grand-Bigard web site was referring to the building
above as the Castle of Grand-Bigard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The actual text that provides details about the <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.grandbigard.be/en/history" target="_blank"><strong>History of theCastle of Grand Bigard</strong></a><strong> </strong><span style="color: black;">reads:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;"><em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">“[...]. The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">castle of Grand Bigard, first built in the XIIth (12<sup>th)</sup>
century</span></b>, is surrounded by a broad moat [...]. A five-arch bridge,
headed by two <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">XVIIth
(17<sup>th)</sup> century heraldic apes</span></b> crosses over to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">drawbridge</span></b>
leading to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">fortified
entrance</span></b> dating back to the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">XIVth (14<sup>th)</sup> century</span></b>. The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">castle itself</span></b>,
built in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">XVIIth
(17<sup>th)</sup> century</span></b>, is a vast edifice of remarkably pure
style: it is a wonderful example of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Flemish Renaissance</span></b>, with a long, one-storied main
building in pink brick, contrasting beautifully with the white stone mullioned
windows and the blue slate roof. The chapel, in the right wing, has remained
unchanged for the last three centuries, and the left wing is surmounted by a
bulb-shaped roof. Erected around <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">1347, (i.e. the 14<sup>th</sup> Century) the dungeon,</span></b>
a massive 30-metre high structure next to the fortified entrance, [...].”<o:p></o:p></span></em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now ... to me a castle is a fortified structure with basically a
military/defensive purpose although it can also double as the residence of royalty
or nobility. But what essentially denotes a castle (in English at least) is
that it is a structure built for defensive purposes either as a refuge from
attack or strategically placed to protect and/or control and/or oversee a
geographic location or feature such as a mountain pass, a harbour, main road or
a trade or sea route.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have always understood that the French word <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau</span></i></b>
applies both to what in English is referred to as a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">castle</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span>as well as what in English would be more
appropriately referred to as a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">palace</span></i></b>.
On the other hand, in English, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">castle</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span>signifies a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">fortified structure</span></i></b>
which has distinctive features that are associated with it. So if it is not a
fortified and easily defended structure then it is NOT a castle at least that
is what I always thought which is why the reference to a building which did not
look anything like a castle confused me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;"><strong>PHOTO of Den Steen HERE<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;">Het
Steen</span></span></strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: Calibri;">Above: Het Steen - The Stone Castle in Antwerp</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I did a little bit of research and discovered that the castles
as an architectural / military feature were developed during the Middle Ages
(i.e. medieval or mediaeval times) in Europe which covers the 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> to
the 15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> centuries. The castle originated during the medieval period
as a private fortified residence of a noble or lord. Also there was a
distinction between a palace which is unfortified and a fortress which is not a
residence.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v87E4Ot4zQo/UFjEPrjtilI/AAAAAAAAAWA/WPwkTGjBYD8/s1600/GrandBigard+IMG_6413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v87E4Ot4zQo/UFjEPrjtilI/AAAAAAAAAWA/WPwkTGjBYD8/s640/GrandBigard+IMG_6413.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<strong><span style="color: #0000cc;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Above: The Grand-Bigard web site was referring to the building above as the dungeon.</span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: Calibri;"></span></strong><br />
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</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Interestingly there appears to be some debate as to what can be called a castle, but this is more in general because the term castle has been misused by some people to refer to all types of fortified structures. For example earlier fortified structures such as Iron Age hill forts have been incorrectly called castles. Also there is the whole issue of similar structures in other parts of the world such as Japan, India etc. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, I do not want to get into the whole discussion as to why these particular structures are different or what they should be called instead. I think it would be best to leave that for a separate discussion. Instead I will stick to the issue at hand, namely the French-English translation issue of when is a ch<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>teau not a castle.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I checked my trusty <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Collins-Robert Dictionary</i></b>I saw that my initial interpretation was correct. I also discovered a few other interesting things which illustrate the pitfalls faced by translators especially if one is not aware of the existence of multiple meanings that some words may have which can lead to confusion and incorrect translations.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Basically this is what I found:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Collins-Robert gives the French meanings for the English
word <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">Castle</span></i></b> as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau </span></i></b>(fort) <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">tour </span></i></b>(chess)
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">roquer</span></i></b> (chess).</div>
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So basically<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"> castle</span></i></b>
has only one meaning in French if you are talking about a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">fort</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;">.</span> It also means<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;"> tour</span></i></b>
(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">tower</span></i></b> in English) and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">roquer</span></i></b>
(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">rook</span></i></b> in English) if referring to chess.
Incidentally <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">castling</span></i></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span>(a chess move) is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">roque</span></i></b>.
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Then when you look at the French <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau </span></i></b>Collins-Robert clarifies things even more
by indicating that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau</span></i></b> in French means <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">castle if it is</span></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span>( une <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">forteresse</span></i></b>);
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">palace</span></i></b> or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">castle</i></b> if it is (une <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">résidence royale</span></i></b>); <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">mansion</span></i></b>,
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">stately home</span></i></b> if it is ( une <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">manoir, gentilhommière</span></i></b>) and a<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">a</span><span style="color: blue;">teau</span></i></b> if it is (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">en France</span></i></b>).
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In other words if your <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau</span></i></b> is a fortress then it is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">castle</span></i></b><span style="color: #000099;">.</span>
If it is a royal residence then it is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">palace</span></b> or a<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;"> castle</span></b> (i.e. an unfortified
royal residence is a palace and a fortified royal residence would be a castle).
And if it is a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">mansion</span></i></b> or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">stately home</span></i></b> as appears to be the case
with Ch<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>teau
de Grand-Bigard then it is not called a castle in English. I would have called
it a palace but get the impression that in French the designation of palace is
reserved for <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">royal</b> residences so for
those residences not belonging to royalty you would need to refer to them as a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">mansion</span></i></b> or a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">stately
home</span></i></b>.</div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">However, here comes the tricky part because in English when
referring to a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau</span></i></b> in France you actually call it a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">chateau</span></i></b>. Note that chateau without the “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span></i></b>”
("a" circumflex) is an English word (or more accurately an English
loanword from French) while <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau</span></i></b> with the “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span></i></b>” is a
French word.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am not sure if that particular rule is a hard and fast
rule or not but suspect that it is a specific loanword adopted to refer to a
specific type of structure as in the ubiquitous French chateaus that were built
after developments in warfare and siege weaponry (artillery in particular) had
rendered medieval fortifications such as castles, keeps and fortified cities obsolete.</span><br />
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The question then is, should the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teau</span></i></b> at Grand-Bigard be called a mansion, manor house, country home,
stately home or a chateau (without the"a" circumflex)? Could you argue that since French is one of the
official languages in Belgium then the rule applies to Belgian <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teaux</span></i></b>
or would it be more accurate to say that the English loanword <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">chateau</span></i></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ONLY</b> applies to French <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teaux</span></i></b> as in those in France as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Collins-Robert</b> implies when it
indicates that a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teaux </span></i></b>is a<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">a</span><span style="color: blue;">teau</span></i></b>
if it is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">in
France</span></b>?</div>
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I could be wrong but my interpretation is that the English
loanword “<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #000099;">chateau</span></i></b>” specifically
applies to French <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teaux</span></i></b>. So the Grand-Bigard <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">ch</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span><span style="color: red;">teaux</span></i></b>
should be a referred to as a Manor House or Stately Home. However, I have seen some references that argue otherwise indicating that <strong><em><span style="color: #000099;">chateau</span></em></strong> applies to any structure called a <strong><em><span style="color: red;">ch<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">â</span>teaux</span></em></strong> in a French speaking country which would cover France, Belgium, Switzerland and Monacco.<br />
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I could be difficult and ask if that applies only to the French speaking parts of Belgium and Switzerland (Brussels, Wallonia and Romandy regions) or if it can be used in the whole country, but I will not? However, joking aside it is an interesting and relevant question after all Grand-Bigard is in Flemish Brabant which is Dutch speaking.<br />
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Then there is the question as to whether or not this applies to Quebec and African countries where French is spoken in reference to any such structures that may exist. I'm just wondering.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O1A53nY1pBc/UFjEZGJ0BzI/AAAAAAAAAWI/hg67TzEunPg/s1600/GrandBigard+IMG_6476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O1A53nY1pBc/UFjEZGJ0BzI/AAAAAAAAAWI/hg67TzEunPg/s640/GrandBigard+IMG_6476.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #0000cc; font-family: Calibri;">Above: View of Grand-Bigard Keep on the left with the Grand-Bigard Manor House on the right.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In essence Grand-Bigard dates from the 12<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>Century and is surrounded by a moat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stately home was built in the 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> Century and is considered a fine example of the Flemish Renaissance. The Keep dates from the 12<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup>Century. This is a fortified tower which was built around 1347 with walls two meters thick and is composed of four stories rising up to thirty meters.</span>Vincenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688509166643451425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8364341260752080487.post-73316951639162100022012-10-21T04:31:00.003-07:002015-10-20T06:44:29.962-07:00The Blood of Souls. A Blog on language, translation and etymology<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a blog on language, translation, etymology
and other issues related to language and the use and misuse of words. The Blog title
“The Blood of Souls”, alludes to a few quotes on language that I resonated with
my own views about language:</span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Language is the blood of the soul into which
thoughts run and out of which they grow”<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Oliver
Wendell Holmes’</span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“To have another language is to possess a
second soul"<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Charlemagne</span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Such simple words! But words
are mighty things; <br />
They cast us down, or lift us up to rest; <br />
They charm and strengthen, till our angel sings <br />
The last of all the life-songs, and the best."<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sharah
Doudney</span></span></div>
Vincenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10688509166643451425noreply@blogger.com0