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Gravers

English translation: Burrower

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:Graver
English translation:Burrower
Entered by: Bryan Crumpler

23:53 Oct 21, 2002
Dutch to English translations [PRO]
Science
Dutch term or phrase: Gravers
als kopje...

Gravers:
In het dierenrijk wordt heel wat gegraven. Onder de grond zijn dieren onvindbaar voor de meeste rovers. Ze drogen er minder snel uit en te koud of te warm is het er ook niet. Het is er dus goed toeven. Onder de grond leven dan ook meer dieren dan je zou denken. In een vingerhoed gevuld met aarde zitten al gauw twee miljoen microscopisch kleine zweephaardiertjes. Ook iets grotere dieren leven in enorme aantallen onder de grond. In één kuub aarde zitten onder andere drie miljoen draadwormpjes, 300.000 mijten, 150.000 springstaarten, 1000 insecten, 250 regenwormen en 150 slakken.


"Diggers" lijkt het me niet want er bestaat toch wel een wetenschappelijke term voor. Wat is de juiste term voor deze categorie?
Bryan Crumpler
United States
Local time: 17:23
Burrower
Explanation:
See Groot Woordenboek van Dale, Nederlands - Engels
Selected response from:

Astrid Homan
United States
Local time: 16:23
Grading comment
Thanks Astrid & Dave. The idea that "Burrowers" sounds unnatural and non-idiomatic is completely invalid here. We're not talking about idiom, but rather scientific grouping or classification. Saying that an animal is a burrowing animal - as a means of categorization - is inherently redundant. It's like giving a definition using the word itself. To say that an animal is a burrower, however, is not redundant by any means, and it fits better as a single-word heading in my opinion.
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3Burrower
Astrid Homan
4burrowing animals/creatures
Dave Greatrix


  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Burrower


Explanation:
See Groot Woordenboek van Dale, Nederlands - Engels

Astrid Homan
United States
Local time: 16:23
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 51
Grading comment
Thanks Astrid & Dave. The idea that "Burrowers" sounds unnatural and non-idiomatic is completely invalid here. We're not talking about idiom, but rather scientific grouping or classification. Saying that an animal is a burrowing animal - as a means of categorization - is inherently redundant. It's like giving a definition using the word itself. To say that an animal is a burrower, however, is not redundant by any means, and it fits better as a single-word heading in my opinion.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tina Vonhof (X)
16 mins
agree  Nadia Ellis (X): burrower: an animal that digs a hole to live in
4 hrs
agree  Edith Kelly
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
burrowing animals/creatures


Explanation:
Care should be taken with burrowers as there are creatures that are actually called "burrowers" (see below)

The Burrowers are long
tube-like creatures, covered in most areas by a thick exoskeleton. ...
www.worldzone.net/arts/owlbert/sosf1.html

Burrowers
Burrowers. The Burrowers are the smallest of the spiders that make up the hive collective,
physically weak, the Burrower has one major ability, that is it can ...
www.altnews.com.au/hadrian/palladium/ monster/hive/burrowers.html

___________________________________

Diggers
... These "below ground" animals are called burrowing animals. Burrowing
animals have special adaptations that enable them to travel ...
dnr.state.il.us/lands/education/kids/DIGGERS.HTM - 4k - Cached - Similar pages

Mythical Burrowing Animals
Mythical Burrowing Animals. Band Members Anonymous? Tracks. Hot Dang
Fresh Meat Sunset Zero? Celebrity Hair Snack Hazard Mystery F ...
www.tandet.freeserve.co.uk/ mythical_burrowing_animals.html - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

home page
Historic Scotland. TAN 16 Burrowing Animals and Archaeology Historic Scotland is
the Government Agency charged with the task of protecting the built heritage. ...
www.cotac.org.uk/articles/HScot/TAN16.htm


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Note added at 2002-10-22 07:49:01 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

To explain:

This gets back to what Chris raised yesterday concerning red thread and the instinctive use of English. If someone asked me to describe a badger, I would instinctively say \"a badger is a burrowing animal\" and not \"a badger is a burrower\", it just doesn\'t \"sound\" right. It almost \"sounds\" like an insult to the poor old badger. I think Chris will understand what I mean.

Dave Greatrix
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:23
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 1747
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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