Happy International Translation Day!

Come all ye wordsmiths, linguists, and keen logophiles!
Because today it is, indeed, International Translation Day!
So, get out your dictionaries, thesauri, and pens.
How many words will you put out today?
St. Jerome, patron saint of our curious trade,
perhaps first inspired or guided you along the way.
But now, to the keyboard and Web you go look,
To yield the necessary answers by hook or by crook,
But fear not, my friends, as we end this terrible poème.
Because with an edit or two, your words will ring true!

Joyeuse journée mondiale de la traduction!

Scottish Roots

So, on a recent call home (Canada), I was discussing the situation in another part of the Commonwealth (Scotland), and as my mom and I were discussing the politics of separation (should they stay? should they go? what kind of currency will they use? will they have their own army, passports, etc.), it got me thinking about the definition of a Scotsman, and of Scotland in general. What makes a culture? What defines a nation? As this is a linguistic blog, of course our ears are primarily attuned to questions of language. So, without delving too deeply into the politics of the times, we thought we’d present some English words of Scottish origin. Here are a few:

caddie/caddy               cosy/cozy                  clan               glamour

golf                             gumption                   laddie             lassie

plaid                           pony                           raid                rampage

tweed                         wee                             weird              wraith

Know of any others? A common expression supposedly uttered by many Canadians is oot and aboot (as in, “I’ll be oot and about [out and about] today on some errands). But personally, I’ve never heard anyone use this pronunciation (maybe more common in the eastern provinces). However, the Scots, it seems, employ the pronunciation “oot” in the word “outside.” And as many early settlers in Canada were Scots, perhaps therein lies the answer?

Be a true friend, not a false friend*!

If you’ve ever travelled to France, or to another French-speaking country, or delighted in a French-language book or movie, perhaps you’ve come across words that sound oh-so-familiar, yet seem to have an entirely different meaning. Words like “actuellement,” “librairie,” or “souvenir.”  Because of the many shared roots of the English and French languages, there are many instances where a = a and b = b (e.g. a table =  “une table” and a document = “un document”); but there are also many cases where two identical-looking words are not…identique.

Here are a few examples to whet your appétit!

French            English

actuellement – actually

In French, actuellement means “now” or “currently,” whereas the English “actually” indicates what’s real or truly exists.

envie – envy

If you have “une envie de faire quelque chose,” it means you wish to do something, like perhaps visit the vallée de la Loire, or go to the Louvre. If you have “envy” though, you might be eyeballing those en route to the airport…

librairie – library

The “librairie” is where you go to purchase your new, pristine copy of  “Du Côté de Chez Swann” or other oeuvre; whereas, the library is where you go to borrow a copy.

entrée – entrée

So, these two words aren’t so far apart in meaning (both make reference to the world of cooking). But, in French, an “entrée” is the main course of your meal, whereas the English “entrée” is an appetizer.

menu – menu

This is a mistake I’ve commonly made – going to a restaurant, and asking for “un menu.” If you want to investigate the restaurant’s general offerings, you ask for “une carte,” but if you want a set deal (starter, main dish, and dessert), “un menu” is the way to go.

photographe – photograph

Here, it’s the “e” that makes the difference! “Photographe,” in French, is the person capturing the picture, while in English, “photograph” is what the photographer captures.

and...

soldes – sold

Now, it’s the season of “les soldes” in France. In French, “soldes” means “sales,” while in English, “sold” is the past tense of “to sell” (vendre).

What other false friends have you encountered on your literary/cultural/travel journeys? Let us know in the comments section below!

*a.k.a “false cognate” – two identical-looking words in two different languages that have different meanings