Author Topic: afrikaans --- engels ?  (Read 8347 times)

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Offline AB

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afrikaans --- engels ?
« on: August 18, 2013, 05:04:13 PM »
Vanaf die internet:

 How do you explain the word "sommer" to someone who is not South African?  It's not only a foreign word, it's a foreign concept.  Perhaps the English never do anything "just sommer".  There really is no equivalent.... "Why are you laughing? Just sommer."

"Bakkie" is another one, very useful around this house for all sizes and shapes of containers and dishes.  Also used for what they call "utes" in OZ or "pickup" in England.  I find it an indispensable word.

We all know "voetstoots" of course.  It's been officially adopted into South African English.  There's no concise, one-word equivalent in English.  "As is" just doesn't hack it.  And it's such a humorous word, conjuring up images of pushing that brand new car home...

There's no good English word for "dwaal".  It doesn't mean dream, or daze.  It's close to absent-mindedness, but that's not quite it.  Being in one so often myself, I'm not likely to stop using it.

I think "gogga" is the most delightful word for insect I've ever heard.  Children all over the world should use it.  "Insect" just doesn't stand a chance.

And I think "moffie" is a far better word than all those embarrassed English attempts at defining a homosexual: gay, queer, poofter... none of them are half as expressive.   Somehow "moffie" doesn't sound as derogatory either.

And then there's "gatvol".  OK, I know it's very rude. But it's so very expressive, nê?
"Fed up" doesn't have half the impact.  "Gatvol" is a word used more frequently than ever in the workplace these days, with increasing intensity.

While we're on the subject, another phrase which outstrips any English attempt is "Hy sal sy gat sien".  "He'll get his come-uppance" definitely lacks the relish in comparison.

"Donder" is another very useful word, used as an all-purpose swearword, which again has no good English translation.  Used as a verb, it can express any degree of roughing up.  As a noun, it is a pejorative, as they politely say in dictionaries, to mean whatever you want it to mean.  And there's no good translation for "skiet-en-donder" either.

It says something about the English that they have no word for "jol".  Probably the dictionary compilers regard it as slang, but it's widely used for "Going out on the town, kicking up your heels, enjoying yourself”.  Although curiously, the word "Yule" in Yuletide is related to "jol" and derived from Old English.  So somewhere along the line, the English forgot how to "jol".  How do you explain the passion of "lekker!"?  "Wow last night was a "lekker jol".


I've yet to meet a South African over the age of two who doesn't use the word "muti".  Translation is impossible - "witches potion" is about the nearest I can get.  It needs a long cultural historical explanation.  Between "muti" and the pedantic "medication", there's simply no contest.

And of course, my personal favourite "kaark en betaal" , which just says it all, doesn't it?  A bland English translation would be "Cough and pay", or "Breathe and pay".  But it just doesn't cut it, does it?  Not by a long drop.

Other words that come to mind: "jou bliksem", "wag 'n bietjie", "nie so haastig nie", "just now", "sakkie-sakkie music", "ou swaer", "Ya, nee", and one of my personal favourites, "Poephol".

"Dudu".  Telling your infant to "go to bed" is just not the same as, "Go dudu now, my baby!"

How about “bliksem"?  "I'm going to bliksem you!".  Both wonderful Afrikaans expressions with nothing to compare in the  English language, at least nothing that gives the same satisfaction.

"Mielie pap" - there is no word like "pap", here.  They have porridge, and when  they say porridge, they mean oats.  There's no Maltabela, no Tasty Wheat, No Creemy Meal... in other words, there's no "pap"!

"Mislik" - such a 'lekker' word.  "Why are you so mislik, you little skelm?"

Which brings us to "skelm" - here you just get "baddies", but that doesn't have the same sneaky connotation of a proper skelm, does it?!

And "snot-klap"... fabulous word!  "Do you want a snot-klap?"  How would you say that in English?  "I'll slap you so hard the snot will fly!"?  It's just not the same.

"Loskop" is another favourite.  The English just don't understand when I say, "Sorry, I forgot - I'm such a loskop!"

And finally..... "moer".  There simply isn't a word here that denotes the feeling of dread behind the phrase "If you don't clean your room, I'll moer you!"

Offline PM

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #1 on: August 19, 2013, 12:27:47 PM »
Ek het hierdie al 'n paar keer gelees, maar dit bly grappig.  Ons het die mooiste mooi taal. 
Om te weet is om te verstaan.

Offline Fransi

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #2 on: August 20, 2013, 07:51:48 AM »
 :hello:

Ek het dit nou baie geniet. Het julle al probeer om van julle stories en gedigte te vertaal? Dit klink net nie dieselfde nie. Iets soos verskiet wat die dubbel betekenis kan hê van iets wat verby is ('n ster wat sterf) of met 'n koppelteken of klem wat dan terselfdertyd kan verwys na iets wat verreikend is. Hoe kry 'n mens die dubbel betekenis met shooting star sonder om dit lomp te laat klink. Dan is daar ook ons lieflike samestellings. :-)

Offline PM

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #3 on: August 20, 2013, 08:06:09 AM »
Jy is reg, 'n mens trap altyd klei. 
Was jy al op 'n blommetoer in Namakwaland waar hulle vra dat jy "Piet Snot" en "Meideboude" moet vertaal?  Dit is skreeu snaaks.   :icon_biggrin:
Om te weet is om te verstaan.

Offline Fransi

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #4 on: August 21, 2013, 06:41:48 AM »
 :icon_biggrin:

Offline Meraai vannie Baai

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2015, 11:43:07 PM »
Heheheh daai ken ek nie PM! Kan my indink hoe dit sal voeter as jy probeer vertaal hoor.

Gou ietsie vertel: Bestel Outop vir sy Jeep die een of ander plakkerding. Kom dit hier aan en agter op die pakkie is die aanwysings (heel duidelik uit Chinees vertaal)

Use explain
1. Clean be posted on the surface of the stains.
2. Seperate off back plastic film and dream.
3. Select the right location and paste dream.

*dankie aan ons gas wat hier ingeloer het - ek het jou spore gevolg en myself geniet!

 :bootyshake: Gou vertel. Gisteraand kry ek 'n boodskap:
Love what You guys do but could you please talk in English when you put stuff on facie it's hard to see what you are saying when u revert to South African lol.

My lieven loven. Kan jy nou meer!
« Last Edit: September 16, 2015, 07:07:08 AM by Meraai vannie Baai »

Offline Jeannedarc

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #6 on: September 16, 2015, 05:59:56 AM »
I would like to differ on the use of "donder" - I use donder when I talk of the weather - dis 'n lekker donder storm wat opsteek. But I use donner in the same manner as fok or fokken e.g. ek gaan jou nou donner of my donner is dit nou die tyd om hier aan te kom.

there is two english expressions I love:
now you're taking the piss - vry vertaal jy soek nou moeilikheid
you're taking the mickey on me - jy terg my

Offline Meraai vannie Baai

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2015, 07:09:33 AM »
Jeannedarc, ek hoor jou al  :headbang:

Offline PM

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2015, 03:25:37 PM »
Nou lag ek uit my maag uit vir jou Mevrou Louw!   :sign10: 

Ek het weer hierdie bydrae baie geniet. 
Om te weet is om te verstaan.

Offline Meraai vannie Baai

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2018, 01:55:25 AM »
Sluip ek ook weer terug en lag van vooraf. My Engelse kleinkinders het hulle eie woord vir 'sommer'... 'because... en boggerol verder. As ek vra 'why did you do that?' is dit short and sweet - 'because...' Ek het ophou vra 'because why?' en aanvaar dit is soos sommer vir ons.
 

Offline Naas

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2018, 02:23:55 AM »
Ta Raaitjie, ek het die een gemis en lees ook nou eers. Dis baie waar, al die Afrikaans wat weergaloos in ander tale is. Terwyl ek lees besef ek hulle se mos dat 'n dwergie ander reuke optel in 'n hysbak. Ek wonder dus nou of gatvol dieselfde betekenis vir 'n moffie het as wat dit vir my het.

 :icon_bigsmurf:
Ek is maar net een, maar ek ís een.

Offline Meraai vannie Baai

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2018, 02:52:49 AM »
Love is in the air...

Offline Naas

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2018, 03:01:54 AM »
Verwys Ta Raaitjie nou na die dwergie of die verkeerdom mannetjie?


 :icon_bigsmurf:
Ek is maar net een, maar ek ís een.

Offline Meraai vannie Baai

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2018, 03:45:30 AM »
 :icon_scratch: nou't dit my skoon ontgaan Naas  :icon_biggrin:

Offline PM

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Re: afrikaans --- engels ?
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2018, 11:21:47 AM »
Manne, dit is mos Afrikaans!  Ons het baie "nougesette" vrinne.  Seders in Waterkloof wat glad niks van hierdie taalgebruik sal hou nie!
Afrikaans is Afrikaans!  :evil6:
Om te weet is om te verstaan.