aus der Zeit der Völkerwanderung

English translation: Iron Age (Migration Period)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

German term or phrase:	Völkerwanderung
English translation:	Iron Age (Migration Period)
Entered by:	Nicole Tata

13:51 Jun 2, 2003

German to English translations [PRO]
History / history

German term or phrase: aus der Zeit der Völkerwanderung

Das einzige im Originalzustand erhaltene Schiff aus der Zeit der Völkerwanderung wird dort für ein Jahr im Nationalmuseum zu sehen sein.

I'm completely stumped! Retaining the German is not an option, so how do I explain this in English? Anything with 'migration of peoples' in it is a non-starter, in my view. Help, please!

Nicole Tata KudoZ activity Questions: 225 (none open) (1 without valid answers) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 1335 United Kingdom
Local time: 00:15

(European) Migration Age

Explanation:
would be my suggestion -

www.thetroth.org/resources/ourtroth/migrat.html (among others)

I wouldn't bother explaining it for a UK/US audience. 10 to 1 most Germans couldn't explain what the Völkerwanderung was anyway.

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Note added at 2003-06-02 16:55:17 (GMT)
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or \"Migration period\" (or \"Migration Period\"). Several decent hits (as well as a lot of duff ones) for - nydam \"migration period\" -

I\'ll have to come clean and admit that most of the hits for - nydam \"migration age\" - are pretty dodgy.

Selected response from:

TonyTK

Grading comment

Wow, what a great response! After much googling and head scratching, I concluded that 'Migration Period' probably fits best. I also managed to find some references for the Nydam ship where it was described as dating back to the Iron Age! So I'll use that, too. Thanks Tony and everyone else for all your suggestions.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +1

Age of (the) invasions/migrations

Lars Finsen

Volkerwanderung

Simona de Logu

from the time of the migration of the nations

Ellen Zittinger

wandering of the people

Steffen Walter

that's the English for Voelkerwanderung[en]

gangels (X)

at the time of mass migration

izy

3 +1

(European) Migration Age

TonyTK

from the era of the great wandering of [Germanic] peoples

Mary Wilburn

the era of the Wandering of Peoples (Volkerwanderung)

Robert Schlarb

From the era of tribal migration.

roneill

from the time of the viking invasions

Daniel Jeory

my try

Ron Stelter

mass exodus, mass migration

Cilian O'Tuama

Ask the customer

David Moore (X)

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

4 mins confidence:

my try

Explanation:
at the time of the nomadic migration of the (Germanic?) tribes

trying to avoid your "non-starter"

Ron Stelter
Local time: 18:15
Native speaker of:

English

5 mins confidence:

wandering of the people

Explanation:
should be an option -> see sources below

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Note added at 2003-06-02 14:02:26 (GMT)
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http://www.cast.uark.edu/student_pubs/david_holt/introductio... suggests \"people movements\"

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Note added at 2003-06-02 14:04:47 (GMT)
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*Falls* Du doch das Dt. lassen solltest, solltest Du eine engl. Entsprechung in Klammern ergänzen. Im wissenschaftlichen Kontext wird der dt. Begriff oft auch ins Engl. übernommen.

Reference: http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voelkerwanderung
Reference: http://www.thesocialcontract.com/pdf/five-one/critique.pdf

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 01:15
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 58

5 mins confidence:

that's the English for Voelkerwanderung[en]

Explanation:
from the era of the barbarian invasions

Sounds meaner than the German, but all history books call it that. There actually were waves, culminating in Theoderich's sacking of Rome

gangels (X)
Local time: 17:15
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

German
PRO pts in category: 4

6 mins confidence:

at the time of mass migration

Explanation:
or emigration of nations; also found invasion of the barbarians, but not so sure in this one!

Reference: http://dict.leo.org

izy
Local time: 00:15
Works in field
Native speaker of: German

6 mins confidence:

mass exodus, mass migration

Explanation:
alternatives - you haven't exactly spoilt us with context :-)

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 01:15
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 20

7 mins confidence:

Volkerwanderung

Explanation:
In English the German word is used, spelled slightly differently.

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Note added at 2003-06-02 14:06:55 (GMT)
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dating back to the Volkerwanderung

Simona de Logu
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:15
Native speaker of:

English,

German

27 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

(European) Migration Age

TonyTK
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

51 mins confidence:

from the era of the great wandering of [Germanic] peoples

Explanation:
A still not completely explainable mass migration of Germanic tribes occurred during the Roman period. The wanderers represented "Voelker," not just a single "Volk." They settled in the areas of Europe that still today bear their names, or derivatives thereof, in Scandinavia, on the North Sea (Frisians, Franks, Alamans, Jutes, Angles, Saxons), and east of the Elbe (Lombards, Bugundians, Goths), etc.

see Davies, EUROPE, pp. 222-223

Mary Wilburn
United States
Local time: 19:15
Native speaker of:

English

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

Age of (the) invasions/migrations

Explanation:
English language historians seem to most often talk about this period (marking the end of the Empire and the beginning of the Middle Ages) from the Roman perspective and call it the "Age of (the) Invasions", but "Age of Migrations" which is also used, I think is more accurate. You will find "Age of (the) Barbarian Invasions/Migrations" too, as well as "Age of (the) Germanic Invasions/Migrations", but the latter is very inaccurate, since the Germanic peoples were only one of the several groups that were on the move.

Lars Finsen
Local time: 01:15
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Norwegian

1 hr confidence:

the era of the Wandering of Peoples (Volkerwanderung)

Explanation:
It is not just about Germanic tribes; some of the tribes were in fact Slavic (Avars) and the Huns were in fact Central Asian.
"Volkerwanderung" is most often spelled without an Umlaut because American and British editors cannot deal with the Umlaut.

--
Slavs and other peoples migrated in response to the pressures of something like a demographic Rubic's Cube. As one people or "tribe" moved, others moved perforce and/or were absorbed. The movements of Gothic peoples, both Visigoths [West Goths] and Ostrogoths [East Goths] were a powerful cause of demographic flux. Slavs shifted westward and southward in rhythm with the pan-European flux, a phenomenon the Germans call Volkerwanderungen, the wandering of peoples.

Reference: http://www.uoregon.edu/~kimball/sac.0000.1682.htm

Robert Schlarb
Local time: 01:15
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

German
PRO pts in category: 16

1 hr confidence:

Ask the customer

Explanation:
which "Volkerwanderung" exactly he had in mind; as stated at several points above, there have been waves of them; according to the English web-sites (which use the exact term), they seem to have started in 2,450 BC; there were more waves in the years 600-500 BC; then in the 4th-6th Centuries, then the 8-9th; if you want to chance it, I'd back the Germanic Volkerwanderungen of the late 4th Century, which continued, with interruptions, until the middle ages.
But see the sites above, 'cos I really don't know!

David Moore (X)
Local time: 01:15
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 36

2 hrs confidence:

from the time of the migration of the nations

Explanation:
my take

Ellen Zittinger
Local time: 16:15
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

German
PRO pts in category: 4

3 hrs confidence:

From the era of tribal migration.

Explanation:
All of these words are so loaded nowadays
"people" "nation" etc.

In my opinion, "tribal" reinforces the historical reference. It might be a good idea to ask your client exactly which migration he or she had in mind.

roneill
United States
Local time: 16:15
Native speaker of: English

4 hrs confidence:

from the time of the viking invasions

Explanation:
Nicole, based on the context you've provided this seems to be about the viking invasions. These are often referred to in two ways: as invasions or as voyages. I think I'd tend to steer away from the German.
Depending on perspective, you could either translate it as 'the only ship...from the time of the viking invasions...' or 'from the time of the viking voyages...'.
Hope this helps.

Daniel Jeory
Local time: 00:15
Native speaker of:

English

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