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Translating 'cope' and 'manage' : preliminary enquiry

af Miland, 18. dec. 2008

Meddelelser: 44

Sprog: English

Miland (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 14.26.09

For all its faults, English is full of short useful words, and one of them is 'cope'. This is not used just for successfully handling a situation or problem (sukcese trakti pri situacion aŭ problemon) but for life in general , e.g. people who are depressed or have too many problems may feel that they 'can't cope' or 'can't manage'.

My question is: do people know words in major languages that correspond to this one, as it may provide an idea for a useful neologismo.

I suggest that we get a number of suggestions from different languages, and then and see whether any prove noticeably more popular. A poll thread could then be set up with the most favoured candidates.

erinja (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 15.08.49

I prefer to use existing Esperanto words when possible. I think it's important to exhaust the existing expressive capabilities of the language before bringing in foreign words.

In this case, I would probably say "sin teni" or "teniĝi" or "elteni". They are not exact single-word translations for "cope", but you could use them in a similar context, without using a lot of words.

You can read about the many literal and figurative meanings of "teni" here:
http://www.reta-vortaro.de/revo/art/ten.html

Some samples:

elteni (transitive) = to resist when confronted with an attack or difficulties; to tolerate paciently.

tenigxi = (figurative) to continue, not to fall apart, to be maintained

sin teni = to rest firmly in some kind of position in spite of opposing forces; [figurative] to firmly remain in the same spirits; [figurative] to conduct oneself in some way

"Lia logika spirito nelonge povis sin teni je altruditaj religiaj formoj" (this sounds to me like a situation where someone might use cope in English; "His logical spirit wasn't able to cope for long with the religious forms imposed")

mnlg (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 15.15.52

"mi ne (plu) povas elteni" is good enough. Other variations, although possibly inferior, could employ an appropriate use of "toleri", "elĉerpiĝi", "kapabli", "ced(em)i".

Miland (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 15.18.53

I was referring to actively managing a situation, or life in general, rather than endurance. Are there any words in French, German, Russian, or any Asian or African language known to users of lernu! that express such a concept?

erinja (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 15.43.34

Perhaps the British use of "cope" is not quite the same as the American. I would say that "cope" means to get on with your life, in the face of adversity, and I think this is well expressed by "teniĝi" or "sin teni", or suggestions that mnlg has given.

Miland (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 16.01.55

Sin teni seems to me to refer to the integrity of the self rather than activity, i.e. endurance.

I wish to know whether speakers of the other languages that I referred to - romance, germanic, slavonic, Asian or African - have equivalents in them to 'manage' or 'cope'.

mnlg (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 16.06.35

Miland: what about "subteni", "subporti", "mastrumi", "rezisti", "stari" ? See anything you like? okulumo.gif

Miland (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 16.20.01

mnlg:Miland: what about "subteni", "subporti", "mastrumi", "rezisti", "stari" ?
They might well work in specific situations, but 'cope' is more general. That may be a feature of Esperanto - that it tends to concentrate on sharply defined words, so that words like 'cope' can't be translated in general, only in specific situations.

But I would like to know how other languages have dealt with this problem, if indeed they have considered it to be one.

Frankouche (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 17.18.59

Miland:I was referring to actively managing a situation, or life in general, rather than endurance. Are there any words in French, German, Russian, or any Asian or African language known to users of lernu! that express such a concept?
In french :
- Mener sa vie : konduki sian vivon
- Faire face à la vie, au'x problèmes; affronter les problèmes : alfronti problemojn (?)
- Gérer les problèmes : administri..., tiu verbo tro ĝeneralas
- Manager les équipes : administri la teamojn (franglish not very used for the life)

Miland (Vise profilen) 18. dec. 2008 21.32.25

Frankouche:affronter les problèmes : alfronti problemojn (?)
Yes, that sounds close to what I meant. Facing life's problems is 'coping' in general, so the verb alfronti may be one of the best verbs available. 'Would you know how to cope?'(with a given situation) could be Ĉu vi povus alfronti tion?, and 'The patient couldn't cope' could be La paciento ne kapablis alfronti la vivon. I suppose alfronti la vivon might be a suitable E-o idiom for 'cope', though not as short.

Maybe also there's a good short word in German, Russian or other languages that might be adaptable.

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