Fun Stuff > CHATTER
Сочи 2014 (Winter Olympics Thread)
Loki:
I am always confused when the "translation" is vastly different from the real thing. Like, how does one end up there in the first place? I can understand translating parts of words, even (for example if you were to translate Sankt Something to Saint Something), but some permutations are just not understandable.
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Linds on 07 Feb 2014, 14:45 --- 'Murrica...
--- End quote ---
It's not a specifically American thing, either. Consider the names that came from the British in India (Bombay/Mumbai, Calcutta/Kolkata), or even as nearby as Italy (Leghorn/Livorno, Florence/Firenze).
Lines:
It's definitely an English speaking thing. I don't know if other languages do it very much. I think I remember learning different names for places when I took Spanish, but it didn't seem as bad as English "translations".
pwhodges:
--- Quote from: Linds on 07 Feb 2014, 15:10 ---It's definitely an English speaking thing. I don't know if other languages do it very much.
--- End quote ---
Danzig/Gdańsk
I imagine it happens in all languages; it's just that the more colonial powers give rise to more examples.
It happens within Britain, too, e.g. the mountain in North Wales called "Yr Eifl" is called in English "The Rivals" (which is not a translation).
jwhouk:
I'm just sitting here shocked to learn Australia has a winter olympic team.
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