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French to English translations [PRO]
Science - Botany / leaf shape | | French term or phrase: coin | This term appears in many following combinations, all describing leaf shape, some of which are as follows:
- base en coin aigu
- coin arrondi
- coin basal
- en coin à la base
- atténuées en coin plus ou moins large sur la base
- prolongées par un coin court à la base
- arrondies à la base puis brusquement contractées en petit coin basal
- arrondies à la base, où le limbe est contracté en un coin très court et obsolète
Having already done extensive research into leaf shapes for this job, I can't find an accurate meaning for "coin". It may possibly just mean "angle" "corner", "point", but this doesn't seem common currency in any of my florae. In this document it is only used to describe the leaf base, but I have come across a few other documents where it is applied to the apex. As regards the apex, there are other terms such as mucron, acumination etc to describe the specific size/shape of a pointed tip.
I wonder also whether it could be another way of saying cuneate/cuniform, since coin has the same etymological origin.
Anyone out there with greener fingers than I?!
Thanks |
|  Wendy LeechKudoZ activityQuestions: 728 ( 2 open) ( 2 without valid answers) ( 60 closed without grading) Answers: 181
United Kingdom
| | Local time: 06:45
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| | angle | Explanation:
Angle at base or point, where it makes a definite shape. Not expressed in quite the same way in English.
The link shows clearly how it's used in French.
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Note added at 20 mins (2010-09-06 12:36:59 GMT)
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In English the term for the leaf shape implies these various forms of base or tip (e.g. lanceolate, sagittate, truncate, attenuate...).
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-09-06 13:26:06 GMT)
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"Coin" on its own seem to be roughly a right angle. But instead of translating these French terms, if you have illustrations, I'd recommend finding the appropriate English leaf shape terms, which usually avoid describing base and point "angles" separately,
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Note added at 1 hr (2010-09-06 13:27:43 GMT)
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Can you look up the botanical name and see how it's already described in English?
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Note added at 4 hrs (2010-09-06 17:05:33 GMT)
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Oh, I see - I encountered similar problems in an 18th century text on fish! Then you may well have to use the "angle" idea: e.g. "the base of the leaf makes (subtends) an obtuse angle with the petiole", etc. You might try drawing leaves from the descriptions to see if they are clear, then base your description on that. |
| Selected response from:
Wordeffect
France
Local time: 07:45
| Grading comment As far as I could tell, the author was using this as a sort of umbrella term to describe any leaf with an angled, as opposed to curved/caudate/etc. base. In most cases the leaf shape was then qualified further, so I used various combinations of angled, pointed etc. Thanks for the good link though, strangely I had found other refs on that same site, just not that page!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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| Summary of answers provided | | 4 +1 | angle | |
| Discussion entries: 0 |
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Automatic update in 00:
|
15 mins confidence:   peer agreement (net): +1 angle
Explanation:
Angle at base or point, where it makes a definite shape. Not expressed in quite the same way in English.
The link shows clearly how it's used in French.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 mins (2010-09-06 12:36:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
In English the term for the leaf shape implies these various forms of base or tip (e.g. lanceolate, sagittate, truncate, attenuate...).
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-09-06 13:26:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
"Coin" on its own seem to be roughly a right angle. But instead of translating these French terms, if you have illustrations, I'd recommend finding the appropriate English leaf shape terms, which usually avoid describing base and point "angles" separately,
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2010-09-06 13:27:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Can you look up the botanical name and see how it's already described in English?
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2010-09-06 17:05:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Oh, I see - I encountered similar problems in an 18th century text on fish! Then you may well have to use the "angle" idea: e.g. "the base of the leaf makes (subtends) an obtuse angle with the petiole", etc. You might try drawing leaves from the descriptions to see if they are clear, then base your description on that.
Reference: http://www.prpv.org/advenrun/defs/56_fr.html
| Wordeffect
France
Local time: 07:45
Works in field
Native speaker of:  English
PRO pts in category: 12
|
| | Grading comment | As far as I could tell, the author was using this as a sort of umbrella term to describe any leaf with an angled, as opposed to curved/caudate/etc. base. In most cases the leaf shape was then qualified further, so I used various combinations of angled, pointed etc. Thanks for the good link though, strangely I had found other refs on that same site, just not that page! |
| Notes to answerer
Asker: oh, what a perfect link! So, and I know this is extending the original question, but perhaps sharp point, point and blunt point (angle works for aigu and large, but not so sure about just "angled base". Also would like to avoid acute as this has a specific meaning in terms of leaf shape
Asker: unfortunately the very reason I have been asked to translate these species descriptions is because the researcher was unable to find good descriptions in English already. They come from Humbert's Flore de Madagascar
Asker: I've tried with other plants that are described in this way, without luck so far
Asker: And as regards illustrations - none i'm afraid!
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