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Italian to English translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Architecture
Italian term or phrase:ferinomorfe
L’impianto scenografico del complesso inizia già dal viale "dei leoni”, così denominato per le sculture ferinomorfe poste a guardia del viale di accesso.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 Min. (2012-02-11 12:23:37 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
but if you prefer using the zoological term, you may just as well say: carnivoran animals, carnivores or predators.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 Min. (2012-02-11 12:25:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
but if you prefer using the zoological term, you might just as well say: carnivoran animals, carnivores or predators.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 Stunden (2012-02-11 22:36:04 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
in reply to asker´s question: as to the plastic and pictorial representation of animals, the only specific term I know of is that used for the frightening creatures projecting from roof gutters (mostly from churches), i.e. the gargoyles. Much to my regret I couldnt open the link "animal_symbolism_in_ecclesiastical_architecture.pdf _architecture. Perhaps you are more successful. I´ll continue searching for some respective literature.
With this in mind, I would be expected to agree to theriomorphic, but considering the overwhelming majority of non graecists, I plead for the more understandable expression. Concluding, I must apologize for having omitted the all-deciding "r" in the word carnivorans.
incidentally, and to those who deny the existence of the term canivorans: in addition to animals like the mongoose any member of a family of 33 species of small carnivorans or theriomorphic(shapeshifting)also big ones are calles canivorans: bears e.g. are classified as caniforms, or doglike canivorans. (the latin verb vorare means verschlingen). 99.9000 hits on google for theriomorphic are for
to my thinking the most important element here is the word "wild" : iF it were about animal-shaped sculptures, the author could have used "zoomorphic" but he chose the Latin-derived version which denotes something brutal. The Greek term "θηρίο" means wild animal, but I suppose that the term theriomorphic, however correct it may be, will be understood by experts only. Whether it may be used here, or not, thus depends on the target readership.
My feeling is that the author, like many Italians with a classical education, simply substituted the latin term for the greek one. The concept is the same and so is the meaning - see http://dizionari.corriere.it/dizionario_italiano/F/ferino.sh... and http://it.wiktionary.org/wiki/ferino. Most italian speakers are familiar with "ferino" as a term of use, so it was probably a simple step to coin the term, knowing italian speakers would understand it, probably more easily than the greek derived term. It's certainly a new way of stating it, but it's also quite understandable.
I would like to give an agree for 'theriomorphic' (I wasn't kidding about saying it is a great word!), and perhaps it is effectively the same, by analogy as you say of the Greek and Latin origins. Certainly using this term would match the level of 'obscurity' of the original text. My only doubt is whether there is an intentional difference in the author not using 'teriomorfe', which already exists in Italian, i.e. a difference between 'animal-shaped' and 'wild/feral animal-shaped'. As I suggest below, it may also be a mistake on the part of the author who was perhaps thinking of 'teriomorfe'.
I don't mean that YOU invented it! That would just be silly! Or what do you mean when you say it is NOT an invention - do you have further info about the text or the author? What I am suggesting - speculating - is that the author of the text made up this word for want of a better one. Or perhaps s/he was thinking of 'teriomorfe' and got mixed up with 'ferino' - perfectly possible. Of course, usage on Google is by no means definitive of anything, least of all in languages other than English, but it does seem odd that there is not a single other instance... All things considered, it sounds to me like the author was looking for a term to describe 'taking the form of a wild animal' and put ferino- and -morfe together.
I was going to agree with Shera but found a counterfactual - theriomorphic has its own equivalent in Italian: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/teriomorfo Meanwhile, ALL the references on Google to this word appear to be to this very text you are translating, so I would suggest this is something of a neologism... As such the emphasis seems to be on the fact they are wild animals, so neither zoomorphic nor theriomorphic (which are basically identical) would be precise. Thus I have to agree with Ellen.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 9 Min. (2012-02-11 12:23:37 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
but if you prefer using the zoological term, you may just as well say: carnivoran animals, carnivores or predators.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 Min. (2012-02-11 12:25:00 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
but if you prefer using the zoological term, you might just as well say: carnivoran animals, carnivores or predators.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 Stunden (2012-02-11 22:36:04 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
in reply to asker´s question: as to the plastic and pictorial representation of animals, the only specific term I know of is that used for the frightening creatures projecting from roof gutters (mostly from churches), i.e. the gargoyles. Much to my regret I couldnt open the link "animal_symbolism_in_ecclesiastical_architecture.pdf _architecture. Perhaps you are more successful. I´ll continue searching for some respective literature.
Ellen Kraus Austria Local time: 03:14 Does not meet criteria Native speaker of: German PRO pts in category: 10
Grading comment
Tks Ellen, still the best solution :)
Notes to answerer
Asker: Tks Ellen, your answer is of help. I must tell you I've tried to find more about 'ferniomorfe' figures/sculptures but no way! I wonder if there is an architectural term for this specific renaissance art... or if there is any glossary where to verify this ?! tks
peer agreement (net): +4