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Off topic: Rhinocerous in various languages Autor wątku: Sandra Alboum
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Sandra Alboum USA Local time: 20:09 Członek ProZ.com od 2003 hiszpański > angielski + ...
Hi all! A friend of mine is trying to market a product "worldwide" (or so he hopes!) and needs to know if the word "rhinocerous" has any sort of connation (positive, negative, neutral) in the following countries... can anyone help me out? (Sometimes being the "resident language specialist" is fascinating -- like in this case): Belgium Sweden Germany Denmark France Switzerland Italy Spain Norway Russia Poland... See more Hi all! A friend of mine is trying to market a product "worldwide" (or so he hopes!) and needs to know if the word "rhinocerous" has any sort of connation (positive, negative, neutral) in the following countries... can anyone help me out? (Sometimes being the "resident language specialist" is fascinating -- like in this case): Belgium Sweden Germany Denmark France Switzerland Italy Spain Norway Russia Poland Sorry for the long list -- can anyone living and working in those countries give me any insight (a sentence or two on what "rhinocerous" is in their language, and how they interpret it?). Thanks soooo much. Sandra ▲ Collapse | | |
No connotations in Danish | May 6, 2004 |
I can't think of any connotations (positive, negative or neutral) in Danish in connection with "rhinocerous". In Danish, rhinocerous is called "flodhest", literally "river horse". | | |
Sandra Alboum USA Local time: 20:09 Członek ProZ.com od 2003 hiszpański > angielski + ... NOWY TEMAT Are you sure it's not næsehorn? | May 6, 2004 |
Hi. Are you sure you're not thinking about a hippopotomous? Those are usually called river horses or river cows... Just checking. Thanks! | | |
NancyLynn Kanada Local time: 20:09 Członek ProZ.com od 2002 francuski > angielski + ... Moderator tego forum Rhinoceros Party, le parti rhinocéros | May 6, 2004 |
This was (is?) a "joke" party which ran prominently in the Canadian federal elections in the 70s and 80s, a sort of grass-roots in-your-face type party making un of the institution of government as well as the promises politicians make at election time. Not negative, and perhaps unheard-of among the younger crowd. Nancy | |
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Nicole Maina Włochy Local time: 02:09 niemiecki > włoski + ... No connotations in Italian and German | May 6, 2004 |
I personally believe there are no connotations in Italian and German. Of course it makes me think of something large and clumsy, but nothing specific. Message for Jorgen: I don't speak Dutch, but I believe you mean a hippo! That's a river horse. | | |
Kirill Semenov Ukraina Local time: 03:10 Członek ProZ.com od 2004 angielski > rosyjski + ... In Russian... | May 6, 2004 |
In Russian it's more negative. Say, a person may be called a "rhinoceros" because of he/she is dead-hearted, not sensitive, emotionless. Another possible (also negative) idea is a lead-footed (both physically and mentally). So, basically negative in Russian.
[Edited at 2004-05-06 15:21] | | |
RafaLee Australia Local time: 10:10 hiszpański > angielski + ... in Indonesian | May 6, 2004 |
The Indonesian word for "rhinocerous" is "badak". In slang language, its connotation can be positive or negative. It can be related to extreme strength. For example, "Gila, tenaganya tenaga badak!" = "Oh my God, he has got strength of a bull!" We also have an idiomatic expression "Kulit Badak" (Rhinocerous skin) or muka badak (Rhinocerous face), which mean "thick skinned". | | |
By the way... | May 6, 2004 |
...this kind of searches should be paid... Giusi | |
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Sandra Alboum USA Local time: 20:10 Członek ProZ.com od 2003 hiszpański > angielski + ... NOWY TEMAT
Giuseppina Gatta wrote: ...this kind of searches should be paid... Giusi I'll let him know. I don't know about you, though, but I am learning some things I didn't know about our friend, the Rhino! | | |
You're right! It's "næsehorn" in Danish | May 6, 2004 |
How embarrazing... I wasn't really thinking, was I. Anyway, I always mix those two up. | | |
Maria Belarra Hiszpania Local time: 02:10 francuski > hiszpański + ... Spanish (Spain) | May 6, 2004 |
Rinoceronte. As far as I know, no connotations. | | |
Jack Doughty Wielka Brytania Local time: 01:10 rosyjski > angielski + ... In Memoriam Russian rhino | May 6, 2004 |
The Russian for rhinoceros (Nancy is right about the spelling) is íîñîðîã (use View>Encoding>Cyrillic Windows (1251) to view), or in Latin letters, nosorog (nos means nose and rog means horn). You can use it as a simile in English: "as thick-skinned as a rhinoceros". That's the only expression I can think of.
[Edited at 2004-05-06 18:44] | |
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Uwe Kirmse Local time: 02:10 polski > niemiecki + ... No connotations in German?! | May 6, 2004 |
turin wrote: I personally believe there are no connotations in Italian and German. ... The German word "Nashorn" has no connotations, but if you use "Rhinozeros" or shorter "Rhino", it's offensive. Perhaps young people may not use it, but when I was young, it was very commonly used. The meaning is similar like in Russian. | | |
sarahl (X) Local time: 17:10 angielski > francuski + ... A Ionesco play | May 6, 2004 |
that's all I can think of for France, no connotation either way. | | |
Heinrich Pesch Finlandia Local time: 03:10 Członek ProZ.com od 2003 fiński > niemiecki + ... Though not on the list... | May 7, 2004 |
the Finnish word for rhinoceros is sarvikuono, like in German and Danish, only the other way round: Hornmaul. But the word rhinoceros has no connotations for Finns, as they wouldn't use it at all. | | |
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