This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. Portuguese to English

'Serataputa, senora, Miranda siranda - Wena lo-Portuguese eh? Wena lo Mashangaan

English translation: is you Portuguese or is you Mashangaan

18:17 Dec 2, 2003
Portuguese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
Portuguese term or phrase: 'Serataputa, senora, Miranda siranda - Wena lo-Portuguese eh? Wena lo Mashangaan
This phrase comes from a novel by Miriam Tlali of South Africa. Looks to be Portuguese with perhaps some loan-words from a local African language (fanagalo, maybe?), or even a mix. The context is a radio that has just been repaired but the customers do not want to pay the full amount. The sentence preceding this is "I'm not charging you for the 'coal', meaning the battery."
Tania Therien
Canada
Local time: 05:13
English translation:is you Portuguese or is you Mashangaan
Explanation:
how cool your post is:

anyway wena lo seems to be is you:

Three-quarters of the population of South Africa is composed of black Africans. The Amazulu (Zulu) population is the largest of the black African groups. The Amaxhosa (Xhosa), Bapedi (Pedi or Northern Sotho), Basotho (Southern Sotho), Batswana (Tswana), Mashangaan-Tsonga (Shangaan-Tsonga), Amaswazi (Swazi), Amandebele (Southern Ndebele), and Bavenda (Venda) are the other main groups. Each has its own cultural heritage, language, and national identity. Before migration patterns led these groups to mix with one another, most lived in distinct areas of southern Africa. T

Haven't figured out the sirataputa or miranda siranda yet.

funny huh/ How cool!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-02 18:46:31 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

email this guy, he seems to be an expert:

[email protected]

I think za is Zambia

Good luck...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-02 18:50:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also known as Fanakalo, Fanekolo, Piki, isiPiki, isiKula, Lololo, isiLololo, Pidgin Bantu, Basic Zulu and Silunguboi [it has other names!!]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
History
Fanagalo was established as a lingua franca between between speakers of various languages found in South Africa and was mainly used in mines throughout the country. It can also be viewed as a simplified version of Zulu, Xhosa and related languages with adaptations of modern terms from English, Dutch and Afrikaans. It evolved from contact between European settlers and African people especially in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and later also in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and even Malawi. It is easy to learn this language, yet it is important to note that it is not a artificially-manufactured language.

Speakers
No first language speakers.
General Vocabulary
yes - ehe
no - cha
please - yabolisa / golisa
thank you - inkomu/ndza khensa
excuse me - sori
How are you ? - kanjani?
Fine. - kulungile.
I want ... - Mina funa...
good morning - sawubona / sakubona
goodbye - hamba gahle


Is this cool or what? :)
Selected response from:

Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Grading comment
This is great, thank you! At least now I know what I'm looking at. Many thanks for your detailed help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3is you Portuguese or is you Mashangaan
Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
5 +2Miranda
Henrique Serra
4 +1sugiro deixar no original
Clauwolf
4 +1Explanation follows ...
suesimons


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


10 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Miranda


Explanation:
That's the ONLY word that means ANYTHING in Portuguese, so you should try another language pair:

BTW: Miranda is a family name, and also a location in Portugal.

Sorry if that doesn't help you much...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-02 18:29:47 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Oh, and Miranda is a very popular river in Central Brazil, where fishermen from all over the country flock to enjoy wonderful and adventurous fishing.

Henrique Serra
United States
Local time: 05:13
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 756

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ricardo Fonseca: forgot that one also a location's name, Miranda do Douro
3 mins
  -> yes, good thinking
agree  Norbert Hermann: they speak Mirandese there - might be a sub-dialect of this :-)
1 hr
  -> Danke, Hermann.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
sugiro deixar no original


Explanation:
:)

Clauwolf
Local time: 08:13
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3197

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Vera Rocha: Mas tratando-se de um texto literário, com nota de tradutor explicativa. Para um sul-africano pode ser compreensível por ser um dialecto local ou regional, mas para um leitor estrangeiro, não é, como se vê. :-)
12 mins
  -> Tem toda razão, também faria assim
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

23 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
is you Portuguese or is you Mashangaan


Explanation:
how cool your post is:

anyway wena lo seems to be is you:

Three-quarters of the population of South Africa is composed of black Africans. The Amazulu (Zulu) population is the largest of the black African groups. The Amaxhosa (Xhosa), Bapedi (Pedi or Northern Sotho), Basotho (Southern Sotho), Batswana (Tswana), Mashangaan-Tsonga (Shangaan-Tsonga), Amaswazi (Swazi), Amandebele (Southern Ndebele), and Bavenda (Venda) are the other main groups. Each has its own cultural heritage, language, and national identity. Before migration patterns led these groups to mix with one another, most lived in distinct areas of southern Africa. T

Haven't figured out the sirataputa or miranda siranda yet.

funny huh/ How cool!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-02 18:46:31 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

email this guy, he seems to be an expert:

[email protected]

I think za is Zambia

Good luck...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-12-02 18:50:09 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also known as Fanakalo, Fanekolo, Piki, isiPiki, isiKula, Lololo, isiLololo, Pidgin Bantu, Basic Zulu and Silunguboi [it has other names!!]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
History
Fanagalo was established as a lingua franca between between speakers of various languages found in South Africa and was mainly used in mines throughout the country. It can also be viewed as a simplified version of Zulu, Xhosa and related languages with adaptations of modern terms from English, Dutch and Afrikaans. It evolved from contact between European settlers and African people especially in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and later also in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and even Malawi. It is easy to learn this language, yet it is important to note that it is not a artificially-manufactured language.

Speakers
No first language speakers.
General Vocabulary
yes - ehe
no - cha
please - yabolisa / golisa
thank you - inkomu/ndza khensa
excuse me - sori
How are you ? - kanjani?
Fine. - kulungile.
I want ... - Mina funa...
good morning - sawubona / sakubona
goodbye - hamba gahle


Is this cool or what? :)


Jane Lamb-Ruiz (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 3273
Grading comment
This is great, thank you! At least now I know what I'm looking at. Many thanks for your detailed help!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Henrique Serra: kanjani, Jane?
13 mins
  -> kulungile, Henrique...we are in the mines, after all
agree  Clauwolf: mina funa inkomu for this glossary (ehe)
31 mins
  -> sori mas cêtemkaradepaú mermo..:)
agree  Ricardo Fonseca
6 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

51 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Explanation follows ...


Explanation:
This part shangaan, a language used mostly in Mocambique, parts of Zimbabwe and parts of South Africa. Dont know the first bit, but the last part is: are you Portuguese? Are you Shangaan?

suesimons
Local time: 12:13
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 966

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ricardo Fonseca
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search