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gratuite

English translation: wanton


GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:gratuite
English translation:wanton
Entered by: Elena Robert
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20:44 Mar 12, 2006Login or register (free) for more options.
French to English translations [PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / French Revolution
French term or phrase: gratuite
...douze colonnes incendiaires. Celles-ci entreprennent, à partir de janvier 1794, l’extermination, ***gratuite*** et délibérée, de la population de la Vendée.

I understand the meaning, but am not sure about the best way to render it in this context.
Elena Robert
France
Local time: 20:42
wanton
Explanation:
… and I think it would be better to swap them round: 'deliberate and wanton'
Selected response from:

Chris More
France
Local time: 20:42
Grading comment
Thank you very much!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +11wanton
Chris More
2 +6gratuitously
Jonathan MacKerron
5 +2gratuitous
Carol Gullidge
4 +2unjustified
Chris Pott
5mindlessmediamatrix
4 +1comment
Bourth
4wanton/ unnecessary
Debbie Tacium Ladry


  

Answers

2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +6
gratuitously


Explanation:
to get things rolling

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2006-03-12 20:47:36 GMT)
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unwarranted

Jonathan MacKerron
Germany
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 13

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  suezen: gratuitous. Could also use unfounded/unmotivated but gratuitous is better IMO
2 mins
agree  Philip Taylor: gratuitous
3 mins
agree  Sara Noss
12 mins
agree  Tony M: gratuitous
18 mins
agree  Carol Gullidge: but use the adjective, not adverb, as Dusty and Philip suggest)
22 mins
agree  Assimina Vavoula
10 hrs
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8 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +11
wanton


Explanation:
… and I think it would be better to swap them round: 'deliberate and wanton'

Chris More
France
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you very much!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Debbie Tacium Ladry: yes, 'deliberate and wanton' is good. :)
9 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Carol Gullidge
19 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Peter Shortall
23 mins
  -> thanks
agree  gad
42 mins
  -> thanks
agree  Bourth
42 mins
  -> thanks
agree  zaphod
1 hr
  -> thanks
agree  Cervin: ..says it in a nutshell!
2 hrs
agree  Patricia Fierro, M. Sc.
2 hrs
agree  Rachel Ward
12 hrs
agree  IC --
15 hrs
agree  xuebai
16 hrs
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13 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
mindless


Explanation:
... the premeditated, mindless extermination of the ...

mediamatrix
Chile
Local time: 14:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 15
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15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
wanton/ unnecessary


Explanation:
more suggestions...

Debbie Tacium Ladry
Canada
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
gratuitous


Explanation:
"the gratuitous and deliberate extermination..."

(just one of several possiblities)

Carol Gullidge
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 64

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  emiledgar: Absolutely!
2 hrs
  -> thankyou/merci, Emil!
agree  IC --
15 hrs
  -> thankyou, icg!
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41 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
unjustified


Explanation:
Cheers

Chris Pott
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  xxxsarahl
0 min
  -> Thanks, Sarah
agree  IC --
14 hrs
  -> Thanks!
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50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
comment


Explanation:
I think this is a case where different overlappings of meanings between French and English means you have to be careful in choosing your adjectives.

"Wanton" already has a notion of "intent, deliberateness", so to repeat "deliberate" is pointless.

"wanton - 3. senseless, unprovoked, unjustifiable, or DELIBERATELY malicious ..."

Possibly "wanton" is sufficient. Otherwise the obvious "deliberate" could well be replaced by something like "orchestrated", if the implication is that the people doing the extermination were set to the task by a higher authority.

"orchestrated wanton extermination". Which reminds me, that Slob. Milosevic is dead, none too soon. Plus ça change, plus ça reste la même chose.

Bourth
France
Local time: 20:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 127

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Britaly: but did he jump or ....
12 mins
  -> Heart attack, it was announced an hour or so ago. If he was pushed, whoever did it deserves a medal in my books (having just rewatched "Warriors").
neutral  Debbie Tacium Ladry: My dico has various definitions for wanton, but none of them include a sense of deliberateness. In this context, 'wanton' means having no just foundation or provocation. Or: merciless and inhumane.
33 mins
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Voters for reclassification as PRO / non-PRONon-PRO (2): xxxdf49f, Richard Nice


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