niedergeredet

English translation: talked down to/ reduced to silence

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	niedergeredet
English translation:	talked down to/ reduced to silence
Entered by:	Kim Metzger

09:32 Sep 8, 2001

German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc.

German term or phrase: niedergeredet

Sie haben auch nicht mehr den Eindruck, in kleineren Runden von Maennern niedergeredet zu werden.

And it's really appreciated, if anyone can help translate the whole sentence. Thanks

Tan

And they also no longer have the impression ..

Explanation:
that they are being talked down to when they are among smaller groups of men.

Selected response from:

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 14:30

Grading comment

I try seeking the meaning of 'niederreden'. yet now there is some confusing meaning. I think Kim is correct, at least for his comment on' talk down to' and wtalk sbdy down' (See below.) With the meaning 'talk down to', the text seems to be right. Thanks everyone for your opinion.

From Longman
talk down to = to speak to as if one is more important, more clever, etc.
talk sbdy down = to persuade to be more calm.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +1

jdn niederreden = to talk s.o. down

Connie Leipholz

to talk down = Webster's

Connie Leipholz

more on "talking down"

Connie Leipholz

5 -1

And they also no longer have the impression ..

Kim Metzger

talked down

AngieD

talked down

AngieD

talked down

Maya Jurt

did'nt get a word in edgewise

Alexander Schleber (X)

And in small goups it doesn't feel any more as if the men were talking over their heads.

Wynona Kaspar

to talk someone down

Connie Leipholz

Answers

13 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

And they also no longer have the impression ..

Explanation:
that they are being talked down to when they are among smaller groups of men.

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 14:30
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 127

Grading comment

13 mins confidence:

talked down

Explanation:
They also no longer had the feeling that they were being talked down by men in smaller groups.

hth, Angie

AngieD
Local time: 22:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

15 mins confidence:

talked down

Explanation:
Guess the tense was wrong above:

They also no longer have the impression that they are being talked down to by men in smaller groups.

AngieD
Local time: 22:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English

16 mins confidence:

talked down

Explanation:
In smaller groups, they do not feel, like they did before, talked down by men.

Maya Jurt
Switzerland
Local time: 22:30
Works in field
Native speaker of:

German,

French

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

jdn niederreden = to talk s.o. down

Explanation:
Niederreden = to belittle someone

To talk someone down = to address someone as though he/she were a social or intellectual inferior.

Example: "Credit the child with some intelligence, try to avoid talking down."

Or:

"Whatever their technical knowledge may be, adult students have a good deal of practical experience: they greatly resent being talked down to." (Variation: to be talked down to.)

Source: Oxford Dictionary of current idiomatic English, Phrasal verbs.

I hope this helps.

Cheers !

see above

Connie Leipholz
Canada
Local time: 16:30

13 hrs confidence:

did'nt get a word in edgewise

Explanation:
That's a saying in the USA, when someone just keeps an prattling away.

Alexander Schleber (X)
Belgium
Local time: 22:30
Native speaker of:

German,

English

17 hrs confidence:

And in small goups it doesn't feel any more as if the men were talking over their heads.

Explanation:
Just a suggestion. I don't know if the English sentence is correct, it might need some attention.
But "talking over their heads" evokes in me the image of a child standing there while the adults talk above it, not including it - that's very similar to how I would see "niederreden", i.e. the women didn't have a voice because the men were on about their "more important" things all the time.

native German speaker

Wynona Kaspar
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:30

1 day 36 mins confidence:

to talk someone down

Explanation:
In Canada, as well as in England, at least according to my Oxford Phrasal Verb Dictionary, "to talk down" means "to take on superior airs".

I can only go by what my dictionaries say, although I am not saying that Kim is wrong, he has his own sources. Besides, what makes this case difficult is the fact that there exists no official explanation of "niederreden" in any German dictionary.

Here are three excerpts to substantiate what I had earlier suggested--which should lift the confusion, if any:

1) talk down (to) [note that the "to" is in parentheses, hence optional]:

(informal) to address sb as though he were a social or intellectual inferior

Example: Credit the child with some intelligence; try to avoid talking down.

[Source: Oxford Dict. of current Idiomatic English, Phrasal Verbs]

***

to talk down: to speak to someone in a superior manner

[Source: The Penguin Canadian Dictionary]

***

to talk down: to speak condescendingly, to belittle, to disparage.
"He talks down his competitor's products".

[Source: Gage Canadian Dictionary, Gage Educational Publishing Company]

***

Conclusion: To talk down definitely means "to belittle, to speak condescendingly". However, I do not doubt that it has a second meaning, as in "to silence", as explained by Kim. The English I speak is Canadian English, which is closer to British English, in many instances in spelling and meaning. Furthermore, as long as we don't really know what "niederreden" means, there is a strong possibility that it might mean either to belittle or to silence.

How's that for a linguisitic lesson !

Oxford, Penguin, Gage

Connie Leipholz
Canada
Local time: 16:30

1 day 2 hrs confidence:

to talk down = Webster's

Explanation:
Hello !

Has anyone taken the pains of looking into the Webster's?

To talk down = to belittle. No mention of "to silence" nor the second preposition "to".

En fait, cela dépend du contexte. In some cases, to silence may apply

In other dictionaries, to talk down to is actually listed as to talk in a condescending manner (Cobuilt).

So, make of it what you like ! But check out the Webster's, si vous voulez bien.

Websters

Connie Leipholz
Canada
Local time: 16:30

2 days 7 hrs confidence:

more on "talking down"

Explanation:
I just heard one of the hosts of Crossfire (CNN), Mr. Tucker say "[...] is accused of talking down the economy"

A live example of "to talk down" without "to". The context reveals that the meaning "to silence" really does not apply.

Best regards,
Connie

CNN Crossfire Tucker

Connie Leipholz
Canada
Local time: 16:30

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English translation: talked down to/ reduced to silence

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