taikonaut - a new word was born today Thread poster: Denis Zavyalov
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I was fortunate to translate an article concerning China's first manned spaceflight from Russian into English, yesterday. (www.trud.ru) Russians have already come up with a term to describe Chinese space men - taikonaut. For historical reasons, Russian spacemen are called cosmonauts (Greek 'cosmos' - space); Americans have managed to travel to the Moon, hence the term - astronauts (astra - star, planet). Well, China i... See more I was fortunate to translate an article concerning China's first manned spaceflight from Russian into English, yesterday. (www.trud.ru) Russians have already come up with a term to describe Chinese space men - taikonaut. For historical reasons, Russian spacemen are called cosmonauts (Greek 'cosmos' - space); Americans have managed to travel to the Moon, hence the term - astronauts (astra - star, planet). Well, China is the third in the world to launch a man in space, and the Russian term is based on Chinese 'taikong' - space, with the Greek equivalent of 'naut' - traveller. Interesting, will there be a new term every time a new country launches a human into space? ▲ Collapse
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| And the surprising thing | Oct 15, 2003 |
is that the BBC are also using it already! Language development is amazing - I didn't know we needed a new word for a Chinese astronaut!
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| "Teigonaut" confusion :) | Oct 15, 2003 |
Listening to the German radio news this morning I was very confused (seriously) about what a "Teigonaut" was supposed to be (Teig is the German word for dough). Imagine my relief to later read about the real spelling/origin of the word!
Michele
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Denis Zavyalov 
Canada
Local time: 02:58
English to Russian
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TOPIC STARTER | It is an identical twin :) | Oct 15, 2003 |
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We call them spationautes (from "space").
We don't have so many, but at least one of them has become famous (Patrick Baudry)... even if only in France
Sylvain.
[Edited at 2003-10-15 12:52]
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"For historical reasons, Russian spacemen are called cosmonauts (Greek 'cosmos' - space)"
Why 'historical reasons'? It's all a 'language thing'. Besides, there is a term 'astronauts' in Russian as well. As far as I remember (and as an avid sci-fi reader) in Russian, the astronauts (well, at least in sci-fi books) are those who travel beyond our Solar system (astro ie to the stars) or even within the system but between planets. The guys who work on Earth orbit are always 'cosmonauts'... See more "For historical reasons, Russian spacemen are called cosmonauts (Greek 'cosmos' - space)"
Why 'historical reasons'? It's all a 'language thing'. Besides, there is a term 'astronauts' in Russian as well. As far as I remember (and as an avid sci-fi reader) in Russian, the astronauts (well, at least in sci-fi books) are those who travel beyond our Solar system (astro ie to the stars) or even within the system but between planets. The guys who work on Earth orbit are always 'cosmonauts'.
I doubt that taikonaut will live anywhere other than in China.. Who knows that 'taiko' means space in Chinese (except Chinese)?
"(tai)kongonaut"? )
"Interesting, will there be a new term every time a new country launches a human into space?"
Until now it did not happen with Ukrainian.
There were Ukrainians in space (many of them). But the same terms as in Russian are in use (with a slight change with one letter for Ukrainian plural).
)) ▲ Collapse
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vladex
Local time: 08:58
Polish
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Vladimir Dubisskiy wrote:
"For historical reasons, Russian spacemen are called cosmonauts (Greek 'cosmos' - space)"
Why 'historical reasons'?
Interesting, will there be a new term every time a new country launches a human into space?"[/quote]
Well, there's one Pole who has ever been to Space and he is a "kosmonauta". That's due to fact, that Poland was a member of the Eastern Block, and Polish, Mongolian and the like people in space were launched in Soviet spaceships as members of a Soviet crew.
I wonder if someday in future next Pole goes into space, would they be called an astronaut (because Poland has returned into Western Block), like American ones are.
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Ewa Nowicka
United Kingdom
Local time: 07:58
English to Polish
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Vladex:
I wonder if someday in future next Pole goes into space, would they be called an astronaut (because Poland has returned into Western Block), like American ones are.[/quote]
but I believe there already is the word "astronauta" used in Polish language, right? We always like to be on the safe side ;o)
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vladex
Local time: 08:58
Polish
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noweva wrote:
but I believe there already is the word "astronauta" used in Polish language, right?
Of course, it is. But it refers to Western Block space-travellers. Mr. Hermaszewski is called "kosmonauta" as Gagarin is.
Once the Soviet Block has fallen down there is a problem of discrimination of the worlds parts. I suppose that Western European (including all the EU, Turkey, Israel and the like) and Australo-American space-travellers will be called atronauts, Eastern European (Russia, Serbia) and Central Asian ones - cosmonauts, and maybe Chinese will be another class - taikonauts... (I don't know, what if Japanese or Indian have their own spaceships...)
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| Taigong-naut? | Oct 17, 2003 |
zavdenis wrote:
... and the Russian term is based on Chinese 'taikong' - space, with the Greek equivalent of 'naut' - traveller.
should it not be taikongnaut or rather taigongnaut, with regard to the official Chinese transcription? But maybe this would be too difficult to pronounce;))
Have a nice week-end,
Charlotte
PS: Teigonaut really is very funny for German ears and eyes!
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Denis Zavyalov
Canada
Local time: 02:58
English to Russian
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TOPIC STARTER | Reasons are historical | Oct 22, 2003 |
[quote]Vladimir Dubisskiy wrote:
Why 'historical reasons'? It's all a 'language thing'. [quote]
English 'astronaut' derives from an omophonous French word that was first used in 1927 (see Webster's). If most western languages could adapt a French (Latin-based) word, Russian could do the same, as it did with words like astrophysics, astronome, etc. However, Gagarin had to be different - he became a cosmonaut. Eventually we all witnessed a separation of terms to show geografical (if not political) division within the 'Milky Way' guild.
Now, let us recall what political system there is in China, and many things become clear. Propaganda here is even more direct, penetrating and skillful than that in the USSR. They sure will (and already have - on TV, in English newspapers, on the radio...) support this artificial linguistic division to show their uniqueness. In the past 20 years, China has become quite a nationalistic nation. Even now one can see on TV that China is almost the most superior and skillful space explorer on this planet (literally, 'our spacecraft is the best, the biggest, the safest, the cheapest, the newest, the fastest')
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The word "taïkonaute" was also used in French media on that occasion, even though we use "spationautes", as Sylvain said above, to refer to French astronauts aka cosmonauts...
Whose word comes next: Japan, India ?
JL
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Sylvain Leray wrote: We call them spationautes (from "space"). We don't have so many, but at least one of them has become famous (Patrick Baudry)... even if only in France Sylvain.
Why, Sylvain, you French have THE most famous space traveller of all among your ranks Capt, Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise.
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