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couettes (hair)

anglais translation: bunches (BR); pigtails (US)

ENTRÉE DU GLOSSAIRE (VENANT DE LA QUESTION CI-DESSOUS)
Terme ou expression en français :couettes (hair)
Traduction en anglais :bunches (BR); pigtails (US)
Entrée par  : Karen Tucker (X)

16:57 May 17, 2002
traduction français vers anglais [PRO]
Terme ou expression en français : couettes (hair)
"A cote d'elle, une jolie petite fille de 5 ans porte une robe de couleur et des couettes." This takes place in an African country. Are these pigtails? The dictionary says "bunches," but I've never heard that word before and am wondering if it's the British word for pigtails. My Oxford dictionary does not define this use of "bunch."
Thanks, Karen
Karen Tucker (X)
États-Unis
Local time: 04:32
bunches
Explication :
I had these when I was little - I grew up in Scotland. In fact, I don't think we used the word pigtails very much - I called them ponytails or bunches - i.e. one on each side of your head. If they were plaited, they were called plaits.

HTH

Sheila

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Note added at 2002-05-17 17:05:29 (GMT)
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References: photos of me when I was 5 years old with my hair in bunches - not a pretty sight!
Réponse sélectionnée de :

Sheila Hardie
Espagne
Local time: 10:32
Grading comment
Thanks so much to everyone for their explanations. I'm supposed to use "international English," so I'll present both options to the client. In the U.S., at least where I live, a ponytail is one bunch of hair, pigtails are more than one (usually two), and two bunches of braided hair are simply called braids. Karen
4 points KudoZ ont été attribués à cette réponse



Résumé des réponses proposées
5 +7pigtails
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
5 +5bunches
Sheila Hardie
5 +3pigtails OR ponytails
Victoria Barkoff
5Bunches, but...
5Q


  

Réponses


7 minutes   confiance : Answerer confidence 5/5 approbation des pairs (net) : +5
bunches


Explication :
I had these when I was little - I grew up in Scotland. In fact, I don't think we used the word pigtails very much - I called them ponytails or bunches - i.e. one on each side of your head. If they were plaited, they were called plaits.

HTH

Sheila

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-17 17:05:29 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

References: photos of me when I was 5 years old with my hair in bunches - not a pretty sight!

Sheila Hardie
Espagne
Local time: 10:32
Langue maternelle : anglais
Points PRO dans la paire : 683
Grading comment
Thanks so much to everyone for their explanations. I'm supposed to use "international English," so I'll present both options to the client. In the U.S., at least where I live, a ponytail is one bunch of hair, pigtails are more than one (usually two), and two bunches of braided hair are simply called braids. Karen

Commentaires des pairs sur cette réponse (et réponses des répondeurs)
Accord  Fernando Muela Sopeña
3 minutes
  -> gracias, Fernando:)
Accord  Sam D (X): Yes, that's the term used in the rest of the UK too
6 minutes
  -> thanks, Sam:)
Accord  Pierre POUSSIN: Agree! "Pigtails" are rather "nattes"then "couettes"
8 minutes
  -> thanks, I'd say bunches or ponytails though, it just depends where you are from:)
Accord  nmack: In the US it would be "pigtails"--never heard of bunches. I live in Martinique and according to the 2 little girls who regularly me coiffent, nattes are when you twist the hair to make little ringlets (can be all over head or just a couple).
21 minutes
  -> thanks:)
Accord  Sarah Downing: Bunches is a standard term in the UK - I always knew them as being unplaited and on both sides of the head - like 2 ponytails.
4 heures
  -> thanks, Sarah, I expressed myself badly, I meant if your hair was divided into one, two (or more) sections and plaited , they'd be called plaits - I meant bunches are just another word for ponytails or pigtails.)
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10 minutes   confiance : Answerer confidence 5/5 approbation des pairs (net) : +7
pigtails


Explication :
That's what I used when a child. Braided or unbraided....

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Langue maternelle : anglais, portugais
Points PRO dans la paire : 8576

Commentaires des pairs sur cette réponse (et réponses des répondeurs)
Accord  Nicole Dargere: Precisely!
2 minutes
Accord  Pascale Dahan: Yup!
18 minutes
Accord  nmack: i guess i should have put my agree beside you, for pigtails...
19 minutes
Accord  GILLES MEUNIER
40 minutes
Accord  RHELLER: yes, when unbraided, otherwise "braids" (US)
49 minutes
Accord  xyz abc (X)
3 heures
Accord  ydmills
3 heures
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10 minutes   confiance : Answerer confidence 5/5
Bunches, but...


Explication :
The word bunches is indeed used in English to describe 'pigtails'. I think people want to avoid the negative connotations of PIGtails. Anyway, its what my sisters would say. I could even refer to several (i.e. more than two pigtails).

Given that the context is Africa, I would assume the girl in question was African and has tight curly hair. This wouldn't necesarily be easy to put into bunches, as would straight caucasian hair. It actually makes me think of a common haristyle amongst girls in the African community in Paris, which involves making many smaller bunches equally across the scalp. Unfortunately, I don't know the specific name to give to this style.

I would use bunches, its perhaps the most general term and is not out of character for a five year old girl.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-17 17:12:31 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Braids would be another good term, a common style in African (American) culture and the girl\'s hair may be being primed to grow along these lines. I think the notion of \'couette\', duvet in French, implies a regular \'cushion\' effect (i.e. more than one or two symmetrical tails).

5Q
Local time: 10:32
Points PRO dans la paire : 71

Commentaires des pairs sur cette réponse (et réponses des répondeurs)
Accord  jerrie: In UK we say pigtails, ponytails and bunches, but mainly the last 2...ponytail being one, bunches being more than one. Use bunches to cover many little bunches of hair all over the head in case this is the style being referred to.
1 heure
Désaccord  ydmills: pigtails are usually plaited.....
3 heures
  -> No, for me, the difference between pigtails, bunches and ponytails is number. If they are plaited, they are plaits, as SJH explains above.
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39 minutes   confiance : Answerer confidence 5/5 approbation des pairs (net) : +3
pigtails OR ponytails


Explication :
In Canada, pigtails are always braided, while ponytails are just "bunches" of hair held with an elastic. We do not call either of these "bunches".

Obviously, the uasge varies from country to country, so the correct translation depens on your audience.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-05-17 17:37:06 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oops... I meant \"depends\".

Victoria Barkoff
Local time: 04:32
Langue maternelle : anglais
Points PRO dans la paire : 119

Commentaires des pairs sur cette réponse (et réponses des répondeurs)
Accord  Linda Young (X)
14 minutes
Accord  Nikki Scott-Despaigne
1 heure
Accord  nmack: In the US you can have just 1 ponytail
3 heures
  -> Yes, In canada , too. I was referring to this specific case.
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