Working every day in the linguistic space between Polish and English, I always find it interesting to winkle out those blank spots in either language. Having spent all of my life inhabiting that space, I am sure they say so much about the difference between the two nations and cultures.
And today's word is: 'grumpy'.
Getionary gives the best Polish word for 'grumpy' as zrzędliwy, which the Oxford PWN dictionary confirms. I must say, I've never heard this word in Polish - ever!
My Polish colleagues suggested marudny - which Oxford PWN indeed gives as 'grumpy', but grumpiness is rather a passive state of mind, and not the more active marudzić, which I'd rather translate as 'moaning' or 'whinging'.
Could this be that the English are less able or willing to externalise their woes than Poles? Is one nation more emotionally open than the other?
Interestingly, Grumpy* of the Seven Dwarfs in Polish becomes... Gburek. Gburek is the diminutive of gbur, which means 'a boor,' with overtones of surliness.
We had been discussing the stereotypical phlegmatic nature of the English, in reference to Rudyard Kipling's If... The Brits (especially Victorian ones), were expected to keep their emotions under control. Poles, on the other hand, are prone to dramatic gestures, such as this one.
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis made the link between language and thought (you cannot communicate a thought if your language lacks the words that express it). The corollary to the hypothesis is that if your language lacks certain words, you cannot even think that thought, leading to differences in behaviour between speakers of different languages.
This, then, is why languages introduce loanwords. It is the epitome of revanchist schadenfreude**.
*Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey become Mędrek , Gburek, Wesołek, Śpioszek, Nieśmiałek, Apsik, Gapcio respectively.
** There's chutzpah for you.
Interesting. thinking about it I haven't heard it in the adjective form. One of the things that I lacked in my Polish 'upbringing' was a great desire to read in Polish. I always found it a trudge (although doing the classics at Saturday school with someone to guide you was something I realy appreciated), plus the scope of vocabulary one heard at home was always limited.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I heard it more in it's verb form zrzędzić and always thought it meant 'to nag'.
The French language has fewer words than the English. The French use the same word for something when we might have three or five different words to explain the sentiment in varying tones. The French know that when the same word is used in a certain sentence that it's implied in a certain way. So in this respect, they're able to understand a concept with limited, flourishing vocabulary. However, loner words are necessary for objects. But it does rip a hole in the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in tribal-speak, where they count, "One, two, many," I agree that the number 10 cannot be communicated; however, I think that they are able to *think* of the exact number by looking and memorizing. They are just not able to communicate this vision orally without the symbolic word "ten" in their language. They might not know 10 exists, but if you showed them a pile of 10 birds and a pile of 15 birds (the same breed, weight--don't get tricky on us), they would know that the pile of 15 were more. They might say "many" with more emphasis. Ish.
I'm afraid to ask ... what is Snow White's name?
This reminds me of the translator's note in my old copy of "The Good Soldier Svejk" which says, basically, apologies if the swearing sounds monotonous in English however the Czechs have many more words for "shit".
ReplyDeleteThe Arabs have far more words for parts of the horse than exist in English, thanks to their former intimate connection with the Arabian breed.
The Romanians, as I recall, were well endowed with words for the male organ and insulting or humorous use of the same. They also had a great variety of words also to describe agricultural produce such as hay, depending on precise type and nature. But only one word for "bribe".
Funny, White Horse.
ReplyDeleteIf there is only one word in Polish, "gbur," that means "grumpy"--the English language has quite a few with surly being one of them:
-cross
-cranky
-irritable
-sullen
-cantankerous
-crabby
-grouchy
-contrary
-disagreeable
-dour
-morose
-ornery
-petulant
-querulous
-truculent
-crotchety
-ill-humored
-huffy
-irascible
-quarrelsome
-difficult
etc.
Such a variety of stiff upper lippedness, showing that the English not only have the word but many, many words for varying levels of grumpiness. Must have been something in the water!
WHP - what's the Romanian for 'bribe'?
ReplyDeleteJeannie -
1) Snow White - Królewna Śnieżka
2)Thanks for the 'grumpy' synonyms - none have good Polish translations! Are Poles simply not grumpy, preferring to externalise their woes? I'm reminded of the advice about greeting in the two languages.
In England:
"How are you?"
"Fine - and you?"
"Fine" (and down to business).
In America:
"How are you?"
"Great! - and you?"
"Great!!" (and down to business).
In Poland:
"How are you?"
"Well I've not been sleeping well of late and I've got this pain in my lower back and my cat's not very well..."
"Sparga" - which seems to have taken over entirely from the old Turkish-inspired "baksis".
ReplyDeleteThe Romanian slang word for the phallus is "pula" - not to be used in polite company - and I recall that causing quite some concern amongst American-funded religious sects when "missionaries" visited from the Croatian town of Pula.
How about "gderliwy" ?
ReplyDeleteGadatliwa maruda was the consensus from my Polish-Polish colleagues on the word gderliwy.
ReplyDeleteThe word 'grumpy' suggests suffering in near-silence, making only non-vocalised sounds of displeasure.
If I recall correctly, "Grumpy old men" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107050/) were not silent at all. Which suggests that perhaps words do not have clearly deliminated meanings and "grumpy", just as
ReplyDelete"gderać" and "marudzić" could mean the same, or not.
Jan, it's interesting that the title of the movie "Grumpy old men" was translated as "Dwaj zgryźliwi tetrycy". "Zgryźliwy tetryk" may be a pleonasm. Or may not be if "tetryk" is rather grumpy and embittered than quarrelsome and crabby.
ReplyDelete