tcheman

English translation: shaman

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	tcheman
English translation:	shaman
Entered by:	Elizabeth Niklewska

11:29 Jul 5, 2018

French to English translations [PRO]
Other

French term or phrase: tcheman

This is in a financial breakdown of regarding a company celebration - queried text in asterisks. I think the country is Morocco or at least north Africa:

"la fete du premier qui à été feté chez nous n'etait pas conforme à l'organisation:
voici ce qui a été programmé:

1-la décoration de l'apatame= 100000 franc
2-*tcheman* = 10000 franc
3-produit pour la fete = 172000 franc
4-t-shirt = 1020000 franc

au total =1302000 francs"

At least an explanation would be useful, as I cannot find a French definition anywhere.

Elizabeth Niklewska KudoZ activity Questions: 682 (9 open) (26 without valid answers) (41 closed without grading) Answers: 77 United Kingdom
Local time: 12:21

witch doctor

Explanation:
Could be a rendering of the word "shaman" - brought in to do a blessing or ritual for the fete, just spelt unusually.

Selected response from:

Ben Gaia
New Zealand
Local time: 23:21

Grading comment

Thanks! I have used the politically correct term, as I would imagine that you actually would do so in a list of expenses!
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

witch doctor

Ben Gaia

Discussion entries: 13

B D Finch

France

@Ben Gaia

09:47 Jul 6, 2018

The problem with the term "witch doctor" is that it is a denigratory term that was used by British imperialists to refer to shamans, marabouts etc. If the writer used a "French" spelling for "shaman", I'd stick with that, but using the English spelling in the translation. https://www.quora.com/How-does-a-shaman-differ-from-a-witch-...

Ben Gaia

New Zealand

22:10 Jul 5, 2018

My suggestion is already up as an answer, but you could use the Evenki/Siberian term "Shaman" which is widely used nowadays instead of "witch doctor". I think your word is an attempt to render the American pronunciation "shay-man" into French. NB I note that Wikipedia suggests the term "witch doctor" to be offensive and that "Medicine Man" is used instead.

Elizabeth Niklewska

United Kingdom

ASKER

@ Ben G

21:44 Jul 5, 2018

Could you post an answer - I like your suggestion. It's definitely more likely than drug dealer at a corporate event!

Ben Gaia

New Zealand

Paying the Piper

19:31 Jul 5, 2018

If it is a performance for visitors, organisers will often add a fee for the professional services of a ritual specialist. A shaman's gotta eat.

Charles Davis

Spain

18:43 Jul 5, 2018

Well, it's an intriguing possibility. But it seems a bit strange to put it in the accounts.

By the way, they spent quite a lot on T-shirts, didn't they? Over 1500 euros.

philgoddard

United States

17:59 Jul 5, 2018

Drug dealer, possibly.

Charles Davis

Spain

17:50 Jul 5, 2018

I found references to a song called Tcheman by the Ivorian singer Issa Sanogo. I spent a little while trying to find out what it was about, without success.

philgoddard

United States

Interestingly

17:44 Jul 5, 2018

It means "drug dealer" in the Nouchi language of Côte d'Ivoire, though it probably wasn't that kind of party :-)

philgoddard

United States

For what it's worth

17:25 Jul 5, 2018

An apatame is an open-sided hut:
http://www.google.com/search?q=apatame -aspartame&rlz=1C1SQJ...

Charles Davis

Spain

12:54 Jul 5, 2018

It can't be Morocco or North Africa; it must be Sub-Saharan Africa, one of the CFA (West/Central African franc) countries. Probably West Africa: apatam seems to be a word used there. Côte d'Ivoire, maybe, or somewhere like that.

10,000 CFA francs is not much. A CFA franc has the value of an old French franc and its euro value is fixed, so 100 CFA = 0.152449 EUR and 10,000 CFA = 15.24 EUR. That might be helpful in working out what "tcheman" refers to; it only costs a tenth as much as decorating the "apatame" (about 150 euros).

Elizabeth Niklewska

United Kingdom

ASKER

Yes

12:02 Jul 5, 2018

Yes, I did. I was wondering if there was any other context, as I am not familiar with this cultural context.

Kevin Oheix

France

Canot ?

12:02 Jul 5, 2018

This is the only reference to "tcheman" I found that could make sense but the term is used in Northern America apparently:

https://books.google.fr/books?id=gUlCAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA311&lpg=P...

Marco Solinas

Last name

11:58 Jul 5, 2018

I am sure you have found out that "Tcheman" is a proper noun (last name). There seems to be at least one singer whose last name is Tcheman. Could you source text be referring to a person who performed at the gathering?

Answers

6 hrs confidence:

witch doctor

Explanation:
Could be a rendering of the word "shaman" - brought in to do a blessing or ritual for the fete, just spelt unusually.

Ben Gaia
New Zealand
Local time: 23:21
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 3

Grading comment

Thanks! I have used the politically correct term, as I would imagine that you actually would do so in a list of expenses!

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