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Words that exist in only one language.
Thread poster: Henry Dotterer
Dave Bindon
Dave Bindon  Identity Verified
Greece
Local time: 19:53
Greek to English
In memoriam
Greek equivalent Nov 30, 2011

Jessica Noyes wrote:

Spanish has "tocayo," meaning "person who has the same name." ...
I am quite sure that English has no correct one-word translation, but perhaps there is an equivalent in some other languages?


In Greek it's συνονόματος (synonomatos) which can be used as an adjective or a noun. It's used in the same way, and heard very frequently (when used as a greeting between males it becomes 'synonomate' and between females 'synonomati').



[Edited at 2011-11-30 13:45 GMT]
 
Erik Freitag
Erik Freitag  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 18:53
Member (2006)
Dutch to German
+ ...
German tocayo Nov 30, 2011

Jessica Noyes wrote:

Spanish has "tocayo," meaning "person who has the same name." It can be a person whom you were named after, a person named after you, and, most importantly just a random person who happes to have the same name as you. So if you run into anyone with your same name, you can address them as "Tocayo/a" instead of by name.
You can also use it in the third person. "Un tocayo tuyo estaba en la fiesta." -- "A person with the same name as you was at the party."
I am quite sure that English has no correct one-word translation, but perhaps there is an equivalent in some other languages?


In German, that would be a "Namensvetter" (literally: name-cousin).
 
Jessica Noyes
Jessica Noyes  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:53
Member
Spanish to English
+ ...
Namesake Nov 30, 2011

The word "namesake" is not a translation for "tocayo," as it means only someone who is named after you. I am named after my grandmother, and I am her namesake. However, she is not my namesake. The young woman named Jessica at the US/ Canada duty free store, who has come to know me over the years is my "tocaya," but not my namesake.
My best friend's daughter, Jessica, is my namesake.
 
juvera
juvera  Identity Verified
Local time: 17:53
English to Hungarian
+ ...
Namesake Nov 30, 2011

Namesake simply means someone who has the same name as you, not necessarily named after you.
 
Erik Freitag
Erik Freitag  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 18:53
Member (2006)
Dutch to German
+ ...
Namesake: different usage in AE/BE Nov 30, 2011

Juvera, Jessica: It seems that "namesake" is used differently in American and British English.
 
Elizabeth Faracini
Elizabeth Faracini  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 12:53
Member (2010)
Italian to English
+ ...
Diminutive gerunds Dec 1, 2011

claudia bagnardi wrote:

"Y así se fue...caminandito".
What we would describe as a "diminutive gerund" to express sort of a humble, slow, satisfied way of walking.


Brazilian Portuguese uses some diminutive gerunds as well. One that comes to mind that I wouldn't know how to translate into English is "dormindinho". It's the dimunuitive of "sleeping", often used for children. So, my Brazilian sister-in-law will say about my five-year-old nephew "ele esta' dormindinho".

I think it expresses the speaker's affectionate attitude toward the sleeping child.
 
trent2101
trent2101
Local time: 18:53
Dutch to Czech
+ ...
I haven´t found a word that would translate Sep 28, 2012

the Dutch word gezelligheid.
the Dutch- English dictionary translates it as sociability, cosiness,snugness...

I have a feeling that it means much more..

Maybe the " pohoda" described earlier?

I just sense that we don´t have that in our country.

EDIT: oh, I´ve just read that someone sees it in the same way, that true gezelligheid only exists in the Netherlands.

also, the word " gehorig" fascinates me, as we don´t have any o... See more
the Dutch word gezelligheid.
the Dutch- English dictionary translates it as sociability, cosiness,snugness...

I have a feeling that it means much more..

Maybe the " pohoda" described earlier?

I just sense that we don´t have that in our country.

EDIT: oh, I´ve just read that someone sees it in the same way, that true gezelligheid only exists in the Netherlands.

also, the word " gehorig" fascinates me, as we don´t have any one word for it. It means " a flat or a building with thin walls". but what if the walls aren´t thin, it´s just that every sound can be heard in that house? i´d really need one word in Czech, since I live in a house like that and need the word daily.lol
[Upraveno: 2012-09-28 10:43 GMT]

[Upraveno: 2012-09-28 12:36 GMT] ▲ Collapse
 
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Words that exist in only one language.







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