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| User | Thread poster: Henry Dotterer Words that exist in only one language. |
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Dave Bindon 
Greece
Local time: 19:54
 Member (2010)
Greek to English
| | 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?
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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]
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efreitag
Germany
Local time: 18:54
 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?
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In German, that would be a "Namensvetter" (literally: name-cousin).
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Jessica Noyes
United States
Local time: 12:54
Member
Spanish to English
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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.
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juvera
United Kingdom
Local time: 17:54
Member (2005)
English to Hungarian
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Namesake simply means someone who has the same name as you, not necessarily named after you.
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efreitag
Germany
Local time: 18:54
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.
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Elizabeth Faracini
United States
Local time: 10:54
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.
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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.
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