Messages: 37
Language: English
jkph00 (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 1:59:54 PM
A beginner here. Would "Cû nune kio?" translate "Now what?", and would "defundmanĝanto" translate "bottom feeder?"
Warmest thanks in advance for any help. I hope soon to be able to return the favor.
T0dd (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 2:33:26 PM
For "bottom feeder", I guess the first question is whether you want to use the term literally, as applied to fish, or in the metaphorical sense in which it's used in recent English. I'm not sure that the metaphor would be understood. Defundmanĝanto is a pretty good direct translation.
johmue (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 2:35:18 PM
jkph00:A beginner here. Would "Cû nune kio?" translate "Now what?", and would "defundmanĝanto" translate "bottom feeder?""Now what?" == "Kaj nun?"
As English is not my native language I didn't know the expression "bottom-feeder". I looked it up on dict.leo.org. The german expression "Widerling" one could translate to "aĉulo" or "fiulo" or maybe "naŭzulo".
I would not understand the metaphorical meaning of "defundmanĝanto".
Frith Ra (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 3:18:28 PM
I would generally go with Aĉulo, unless the "bottomfeeder" in question was someone who was otherwise classy, then I'd try to find something more appropriate. "Politikaĉisto" "Fiadvokato" KTP.
Revanto (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 3:29:11 PM
As to "bottomfeeder", that's one of those things you need to think more about. As mia bonamiko Frith Ra (SALUTON EL JEZUOLANDO!) diris, eble "Aĉulo" sufiĉos.
erinja (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 4:15:18 PM
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Interesting note - I recently had a couple of Esperanto meetings by Skype. I noticed that a lot of fluent Esperanto speakers use "ĉu ne" as a filler expression while talking; it seems really widespread. Has anyone else noticed this? I do it myself sometimes and I never really noticed it but when you get a bunch of fluent people together to have a planning meeting, it became really obvious.
"Oni ne povas ĉiam scii, ĉu ne, ĉu ĉiuj jam alvenis. Oni devas registri la alvenon, ĉu ne, de ĉiu persono, kaj tiam eblos scii kiam ĉiuj ĉeestas"
[I just made that up as a random piece of conversation using "ĉu ne" as filler; "You can't always know, right, whether everyone has arrived yet. You have to record the arrival, right, of every person, and then it'll be possible to know when everyone is present"]
Miland (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 5:17:01 PM
jkph00: "Now what?"If the intended sense of this is "So what?" I would suggest Kio, do?
erinja:Anyone want to translate "hand-me-down" in a succinct way?Some suggestions: jam uzita vesto or perhaps uzitaĵo; transdonaĵo; perhaps brokantaĵo could be pressed into service.
darkweasel (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 5:17:50 PM
Miland:I often use kaj do? for this meaning.jkph00: "Now what?"If the intended sense of this is "So what?" I would suggest Kio, do?
Chainy (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 6:08:09 PM
johmue:English is my native language, but I have never heard of this expression before! Clearly an American thing.
As English is not my native language I didn't know the expression "bottom-feeder".
johmue:I wouldn't have the foggiest idea about the intended meaning of that!
I would not understand the metaphorical meaning of "defundmanĝanto".
jkph00 (User's profile) May 9, 2011, 6:46:34 PM
johmue:Thank you! That's remarkably helpful. The German "Widerling" is precisely the sense I was looking for. "Aĉulo" is certainly accurate, but does it communicate the disgust and repulsion associated with the American English expression "bottom feeder?" Literally any animal that eats from the bottom is a bottom feeder, but when applied to a person, it is a very strong expression of revulsion to us, like for a crooked lawyer, which means a lawyer who is a crook, not one badly bent.jkph00:A beginner here. Would "Cû nune kio?" translate "Now what?", and would "defundmanĝanto" translate "bottom feeder?""Now what?" == "Kaj nun?"
As English is not my native language I didn't know the expression "bottom-feeder". I looked it up on dict.leo.org. The german expression "Widerling" one could translate to "aĉulo" or "fiulo" or maybe "naŭzulo".
I would not understand the metaphorical meaning of "defundmanĝanto".
