Place names

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

I could go on....but I won't

I will :

Unapiedra introduced the theory of relativity.

[Ambarina]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I will :

Unapiedra introduced the theory of relativity.

¡Bah! Splitting hairs

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

¡Bah! Splitting hairs

That what the British Prime Minister Iglesiacolina would have said. (Colina de Iglesia?)

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

Alejandro G. Campana inventó el teléfono

Me parece una traducción curiosa de Antonio Meucci, pero no hablo italiano...

July Churches is a famous Spanish singer

Julius Churches (nombrado en honor de Julius Caesar, sin duda). July es el mes. Es igual con agosto: el emperador es Augustus y el mes es August.

(Y hablando de cambios de nombres, conozco a una australiana que se casó con un español y vino a vivir en España. Su nombre en inglés es Barbara, pero aquí se llama Ana).

[xchic]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I'm not quite sure what you mean with 'screw up' - examples please, especially where Brits get in wrong and Americans don't.

Wasn't it Blandirlanze who wrote Macbeth?

[Ambarina]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Me parece una traducción curiosa de Antonio Meucci, pero no hablo italiano...


Julius Churches (nombrado en honor de Julius Caesar, sin duda). July es el mes. Es igual con agosto: el emperador es Augustus y el mes es August.

Bah! pjt33 You too splitting hairs.

(Y hablando de cambios de nombres, conozco a una australiana que se casó con un español y vino a vivir en España. Su nombre en inglés es Barbara, pero aquí se llama Ana).

Now that's weird. Are you sure she's not Barbara Ann (like the song)? Otherwise, that's like saying "my name's John but you can call me Fred"

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

Now that's weird. Are you sure she's not Barbara Ann (like the song)? Otherwise, that's like saying "my name's John but you can call me Fred"

Er- doesn't bárbara mean (female) idiot in Spanish?

[Ambarina]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Er- doesn't bárbara mean (female) idiot in Spanish?

Er, I have no idea if that's what it means in Canarias but never heard it used that way on the mainland. Barbara (the name) is exactly the same in Spanish. If you say to someone "¡Eres bárbara!" you're saying they're excellent, great.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

Er, I have no idea if that's what it means in Canarias but never heard it used that way on the mainland. Barbara (the name) is exactly the same in Spanish. If you say to someone "¡Eres bárbara!" you're saying they're excellent, great.

I think in the Canaries, everybody's name means 'idiot'. But my dictionary says no seas bárbaro...= don't be an idiot

(It gives fantastic as well, though)

[xchic]

Originally Posted by Perikles

I will :

Unapiedra introduced the theory of relativity.

So if stein is stone in German, why do we call a german beer glass a stein in English?

Originally Posted by Perikles

I think in the Canaries, everybody's name means 'idiot'. But my dictionary says no seas bárbaro...= don't be an idiot

(It gives fantastic as well, though)

I get barbarian or fantastic

or - conduce como un bárbaro - drives like a madman

so I suppose that could be taken to mean drives stupidly/idiotically

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by xchic

So if stein is stone in German, why do we call a german beer glass a stein in English?

Because they were originally made from clay, and pottery is called Steingut = stoneware or earthenware. They usually had a lid on as well. Presumably, glass then took over as a cheaper material, but retained the original shape.

[Ambarina]

You're both right. Bárbaro can have a negative and a positive meaning.
Here's the RAE definition http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltCons...&LEMA=bárbaro
Bárbaro is barbarian, idiot, etc. but if used affirmitively in an exclamation it means fantastic, or if used with "qué" in an exclamation it shows surprise, admiration.

[CrOtALiTo]

I don't know if really my the name of my island is important, but here I will leave my contribution.

Ciudad del Carmen.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Every nation has changed many historical and geographical names, because nobody should be assumed to speak a foreign language. Since not all names can be adapted to national languages, Spanish combinations like "Ernesto de Hannover", or inventions like "Munich" are just as valid as Irma's examples. A Spanish name will make nationals more familiar with historic figures, like "la reina Isabel de Inglaterra" or "el príncipe Carlos de Gales".


@Crotalito: Lee con más atención los mensajes. El tema son los lugares (y ahora personas) en países extranjeros que tienen nombres en español.

[Here4good]

A few years ago the press started to use, through international agreement, names of cities in their own language or as near to as possible, for example Mumbai, Beijing. However my friends and I noticed how this name was never used, at least by the Spanish press, in the Olympics that were held in...
Option A Peking
Option B Beijing

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Me parece una traducción curiosa de Antonio Meucci, pero no hablo italiano...


Julius Churches (nombrado en honor de Julius Caesar, sin duda). July es el mes. Es igual con agosto: el emperador es Augustus y el mes es August.

(Y hablando de cambios de nombres, conozco a una australiana que se casó con un español y vino a vivir en España. Su nombre en inglés es Barbara, pero aquí se llama Ana).

¿Y qué tiene de malo el nombre de Bárbara? Conozco a varias españolas que se llaman Bárbara. Es un nombre precioso y nadie lo relaciona con "bárbaro". Es más, "bárbaro" también significa "excelente, magnífico". Personalmente, encuentro que Bárbara es un nombre muy bonito.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by irmamar

¿Y qué tiene de malo el nombre de Bárbara? Conozco a varias españolas que se llaman Bárbara. Es un nombre precioso y nadie lo relaciona con "bárbaro". Es más, "bárbaro" también significa "excelente, magnífico". Personalmente, encuentro que Bárbara es un nombre muy bonito.

What does Irmamar means?

[xchic]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Because they were originally made from clay, and pottery is called Steingut = stoneware or earthenware. They usually had a lid on as well. Presumably, glass then took over as a cheaper material, but retained the original shape.

thanks

when I thought about it I realised that they were often made of pottery

Originally Posted by Here4good

A few years ago the press started to use, through international agreement, names of cities in their own language or as near to as possible, for example Mumbai, Beijing. However my friends and I noticed how this name was never used, at least by the Spanish press, in the Olympics that were held in...
Option A Peking
Option B Beijing

They were held in Option A Pekín

maybe the Spanish just couldn't 'spanishify' 'Beijing'!




& yes I do believe 'spanishify' is an invented word...............

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

What does Irmamar means?

Irma is a German name and it means "strong woman"; "mar" means sea. So, irmamar means "mujer fuerte como el mar"/woman strong like the sea (or maybe "mar fuerte como una mujer"/sea strong like a woman).

[CrOtALiTo]

Perfect, you are the perfect women.