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Naturmensch

English translation: natural man

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Naturmensch
English translation:natural man
Entered by: allemande

22:27 Aug 7, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
German term or phrase: Naturmensch
A friend of mine is looking for a good translation for the title of his play, trying to convey the sense of "Urmensch"
Nature Man?
Man in Nature?
Primevil Man?
Karintha
natural man
Explanation:
waere der gebraeuchlichste Ausdruck im Amerikanischen.

'Natural Man' war auch ein Soulhit aus den 70'er Jahren: Lou Rawls: "Just like a natural man..."

Hier ist ein Auszug aus einem Artikel ueber Prof. Arnold Ehret:

"Fred also talked Ehret into cutting his long hair and trimming his beard. The American audience of the 1920's, it seems, was not ready for the radical looking “naturmensch” (natural man) style popular in Germany and Switzerland at the turn of the century.
"

I found another interesting reference which might fit for your purposes, at the second link below:

(Quote) What is the significance to us of so paradoxical a situation? This essay is an attempt to prepare the answer to that question. The meaning is that the type of man dominant to-day is a primitive one, a Naturmensch rising up in the midst of a civilised world. The world is a civilised one, its inhabitant is not: he does not see the civilisation of the world around him, but he uses it as if it were a natural force. The new man wants his motor-car, and enjoys it, but he believes that it is the spontaneous fruit of an Edenic tree. In the depths of his soul he is unaware of the artificial, almost incredible, character of civilisation, and does not extend his enthusiasm for the instruments to the principles which make them possible. When some pages back, by a transposition of the words of Rathenau, I said that we are witnessing the "vertical invasion of the barbarians" it might be thought (it generally is) that it was only a matter of a "phrase." It is now clear that the expression may enshrine a truth or an error, but that it is the very opposite of a "phrase," namely: a formal definition which sums up a whole complicated analysis. The actual mass-man is, in fact, a primitive who has slipped through the wings on to the age-old stage of civilisation."

Ein Urmensch im praehistorischen Sinne waere z.B. auch "sapient"
Selected response from:

allemande
United States
Local time: 13:30
Grading comment
Danke!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +2Primeval Man
Ron Stelter
4 +2natural man
allemande
4 +1nature boy
swisstell
4 +1primitive man
Cilian O'Tuama
3 +2Man primeval
Joy Christensen
5feral man
Craig Hills
3Salt of the Earth
KiwiSue
3Child of Nature
Jonathan MacKerron
2The Original Man
mbrunet


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
nature boy


Explanation:
as in the Frankly Laine song of the fifties "Nature Boy"

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-07 22:41:19 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Frankie Laine or Frankie Lane, I believe

swisstell
Italy
Local time: 19:30
Native speaker of: German
PRO pts in pair: 3377

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  allemande: Lane was a real nature boy
14 hrs
  -> thanks, now at least we got LANE's spelling established!
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Primeval Man


Explanation:
Since \"Urmensch\" would literally mean \"original man\", I would opt for Primeval Man. That would seem to convey that meaning.

HTH
Ron

Ron Stelter
Local time: 12:30
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 198

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lucien Marcelet
2 mins
agree  Klaus Gehrmann
8 mins
neutral  Chris Rowson (X): "Primeval" means for me the men of long ago, now all long dead. I am not sure this is what the author wants.
18 hrs
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
primitive man


Explanation:
suggestion, though Naturmensch can also mean sth. like "nature lover", which need not imply anything primitive.



Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 19:30
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 7294

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingrid Richter
5 hrs
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24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Man primeval


Explanation:
Somehow, "Urmensch" and "Naturmensch" are not quite the same. So you mean "Naturmensch" in the sense of "Urmensch"? Hmmm, that's still ambiguous.
If you're talking about a person who spends a lot of time in the outdoors and doesn't give the amenities of civilization high priority in his life --- and that could go all the way from an avid boy scout to Tarzan --- then I agree with "Nature Boy".

If the play is about early man, I also like "Primeval Man", but as the title of a play, I'd turn it around, as above. I think "Man Primeval" would also work in the sense of the modern day
"Urmensch".

Another idea: Natural Man


Joy Christensen
Local time: 19:30
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 24

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lars Finsen
1 hr
  -> thank you
agree  Pro Lingua
1 hr
  -> thank you
neutral  KiwiSue: I agree with Natural Man as an option but I don't think Man Primeval works - the word order is rather clumsy in English IMHO
4 hrs
  -> I don't think it's clumsy at all.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Salt of the Earth


Explanation:
To avoid any clashes with copyright on songs/films, suggest the title conveys the overall message of the play/lead character in a less literal way. Primeval is fine if you want to stress the primitive part (though has a slightly negative connotation = backward IMO), but if the Naturmensch is a "decent bloke" (as we say here)and a lover of the outdoors, Salt of the Earth might be worth considering

KiwiSue
Local time: 05:30
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 161

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Lars Finsen: Hmm, I was about to suggest "Mother Nature's Son", but are these things copyrighted?
1 hr
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
The Original Man


Explanation:
The literal translation would be "prehistoric man." Even though I don't what your friend has in mind I doubt that this is it. My suggestion is really only a stab in the dark.

mbrunet
PRO pts in pair: 32
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6 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
feral man


Explanation:
Feral man
Main Entry: fe·ral
Pronunciation: 'fir-&l, 'fer-
Function: adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin feralis, from Latin fera wild animal, from feminine of ferus wild -- more at FIERCE
Date: 1604
1 : of, relating to, or suggestive of a wild beast
2 a : not domesticated or cultivated : WILD b : having escaped from domestication and become wild
synonym see BRUTAL

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Untamed man
Strangely no dictionary explanation?? Very starnge!

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Wild man
Main Entry: 1wild
Pronunciation: 'wI(&)ld
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English wilde, from Old English; akin to Old High German wildi wild, Welsh gwyllt
Date: before 12th century
1 a : living in a state of nature and not ordinarily tame or domesticated <wild duck> b (1) : growing or produced without human aid or care <wild honey> (2) : related to or resembling a corresponding cultivated or domesticated organism c : of or relating to wild organisms <the wild state>
2 a : not inhabited or cultivated <wild land> b : not amenable to human habitation or cultivation; also : DESOLATE
3 a (1) : not subject to restraint or regulation : UNCONTROLLED; also : UNRULY (2) : emotionally overcome <wild with grief>; also : passionately eager or enthusiastic <was wild to own a toy train -- J. C. Furnas> b : marked by turbulent agitation : STORMY <a wild night> c : going beyond normal or conventional bounds : FANTASTIC <wild ideas>; also : SENSATIONAL d : indicative of strong passion, desire, or emotion <a wild gleam of delight in his eyes -- Irish Digest>
4 : UNCIVILIZED, BARBARIC
5 : characteristic of, appropriate to, or expressive of wilderness, wildlife, or a simple or uncivilized society
6 a : deviating from the intended or expected course <wild spelling -- C. W. Cunnington> <the throw was wild>; also : tending to throw inaccurately b : having no basis in known or surmised fact <a wild guess>
7 of a playing card : able to represent any card designated by the holder
- wild·ish /'wIl-dish/ adjective
- wild·ness /-n&s/ noun

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Antediluvian man
Main Entry: an·te·di·lu·vi·an
Pronunciation: "an-ti-d&-'lü-vE-&n
Function: adjective
Etymology: ante- + Latin diluvium flood -- more at DELUGE
Date: 1646
1 : of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible
2 : made, evolved, or developed a long time ago

Craig Hills
Local time: 02:30
PRO pts in pair: 37
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9 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Child of Nature


Explanation:
sort of a cutesy approach

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-08 07:46:39 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Some irreverent alternatives: \'Loincloth Saga\', \'Man before daily underware changes\', \'Men without mother-in-laws\', \'What guys did before Monday night football\', \'I came, I saw, I peed on the tree\', \'Toilet paper, what dat?\'

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-08-08 07:49:01 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Some irreverent alternatives: \'Loincloth Saga\', \'Man before daily underware changes\', \'Men without mother-in-laws\', \'What guys did before Monday night football\', \'I came, I saw, I peed on the tree\', \'Toilet paper, what dat?\'

Jonathan MacKerron
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 5577
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14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
natural man


Explanation:
waere der gebraeuchlichste Ausdruck im Amerikanischen.

'Natural Man' war auch ein Soulhit aus den 70'er Jahren: Lou Rawls: "Just like a natural man..."

Hier ist ein Auszug aus einem Artikel ueber Prof. Arnold Ehret:

"Fred also talked Ehret into cutting his long hair and trimming his beard. The American audience of the 1920's, it seems, was not ready for the radical looking “naturmensch” (natural man) style popular in Germany and Switzerland at the turn of the century.
"

I found another interesting reference which might fit for your purposes, at the second link below:

(Quote) What is the significance to us of so paradoxical a situation? This essay is an attempt to prepare the answer to that question. The meaning is that the type of man dominant to-day is a primitive one, a Naturmensch rising up in the midst of a civilised world. The world is a civilised one, its inhabitant is not: he does not see the civilisation of the world around him, but he uses it as if it were a natural force. The new man wants his motor-car, and enjoys it, but he believes that it is the spontaneous fruit of an Edenic tree. In the depths of his soul he is unaware of the artificial, almost incredible, character of civilisation, and does not extend his enthusiasm for the instruments to the principles which make them possible. When some pages back, by a transposition of the words of Rathenau, I said that we are witnessing the "vertical invasion of the barbarians" it might be thought (it generally is) that it was only a matter of a "phrase." It is now clear that the expression may enshrine a truth or an error, but that it is the very opposite of a "phrase," namely: a formal definition which sums up a whole complicated analysis. The actual mass-man is, in fact, a primitive who has slipped through the wings on to the age-old stage of civilisation."

Ein Urmensch im praehistorischen Sinne waere z.B. auch "sapient"


    Reference: http://www.arnoldehret.org/healthclub/still_ehret.html
    Reference: http://www.mugu.com/cgi-bin/Upstream/Library/Gassett/Revolt/...
allemande
United States
Local time: 13:30
PRO pts in pair: 71
Grading comment
Danke!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Chris Rowson (X): Coming late to this question, this is the suggestion that seems best to me.
4 hrs
  -> Thanks Chris
agree  Joy Christensen: I suggested "natural man" too -- guess I had that song in the back of my mind! If it strikes the mood the author wants, this one has multiple meanings that all fit.
3 days 1 hr
  -> Yes, it was the song that did it for me, too. You deserve the credit as well.
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