22:26 Aug 11, 2011 

"he stabbed her in the armpit"?

21:35 Aug 11, 2011 

"un ganglion sous les aisselles c'est vraiment pas le top, ..."
very often "sous les aisselles" does not really mean UNDER the armpit, but IN this precise area. So I would say "he was stabbed INTO the armpit" Is that acceptable in English?

14:19 Aug 11, 2011 

But it's not a threat – Clother killed the boy (his nephew Theodewald) dead! If you read on, the boy's younger brother (Gonther) pleads to his other uncle (Hildebert): "fais que je ne sois pas tué comme mon frère." And then poor Gonther is dispatched wth "un coup de couteau entre les côtes." BTW, this section is introduced as "le merutre des enfans de Chlodomir." [Love the names!]

@ mimi
I don't think they care if the poor woman bleeds out.

13:57 Aug 11, 2011 

Thanks so much for all the suggestions - very helpful!

13:54 Aug 11, 2011 

Difficult to be stabbed and probably be bleeding profusely and be raped by four men - you might be dead before they all take turn

13:41 Aug 11, 2011 

we have enfonça un couteau sous l'aisselle as a threat:
http://books.google.com/books?id=ek_PWD_hip4C&pg=PA138&lpg=P...

Were it dans l'aisselle it would definitely be stabbing. Since presumably they wanted their victim to live at least long enough to be raped, it probably isn't a stabbing, at least not a full-blade-length stabbing, or, if it is, then upwards into the shoulder, not horizontally into lung and heart.
I think "thrust into her armpit" is as multi-biguous as the French (personally I might interpret "underarm" as the fleshy inside of the upper arm).

12:45 Aug 11, 2011 

Probably need a native French ear here.

11:59 Aug 11, 2011 

It's not clear, that's the problem... The text contains no other references to the incident.

11:55 Aug 11, 2011 

that she was actually stabbed, or was the knife "thrust into her armpit" as a threat of stabbing, with the point exerting pressure against the flesh?

10:19 Aug 11, 2011 

From the definition I've read in the 'Petit Robert' refers to a 'depression' between the top of arm and thorax so I think 'armpit' is the best translation. I'd be particularly inclined to use it if (and this is not a nice thought, but unfortunately it is a nasty subject) the lady in question is on her back with arms held up (which seems entirely possible). If that is clear from what comes earlier then I'd definitely go with armpit.