Pesebre de Navidad

[irmamar]

Manger or crib?

Thanks.

[Ambarina]

Pesebre es manger (si piensas en manger - comer en francés - puedes recordarlo mejor)
Crib es cuna
Villancico
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The little lord Jesus lay down his sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

[irmamar]

Thanks a lot, Ambarina.

And is crib a synonym for cradle?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Thanks a lot, Ambarina.

And is crib a synonym for cradle?

The easy answer is yes. All three words have so many different related meanings, I wouldn't worry too much. For instance, a crib can be a manger, and it can also be something like a cradle.

[poli]

A manger is not a crib. It is a feeding trow for animals in a barn.

Cradles rock (bambolean). Cribs do not rock.

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by poli

A manger is not a crib. It is a feeding trow for animals in a barn..

Yes, I know. But the oldest definition of a crib in the SOED is "a barred receptacle for fodder". (Note too German Krippe). The baby's crib is presumably called thus because it has barred sides.

[poli]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Yes, I know. But the oldest definition of a crib in the SOED is "a barred receptacle for fodder". (Note too German Krippe). The baby's crib is presumably called thus because it has barred sides.

Is manger commonly used for crib in Britain? I doubt it.

[xchic]

Originally Posted by poli

Is manger commonly used for crib in Britain? I doubt it.

You're right, but then crib isn't commonly used either.

Mostly we say cot for a baby's bed. A moses basket is often used when the baby is newborn.

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by xchic

You're right, but then crib isn't commonly used either.

Mostly we say cot for a baby's bed. A moses basket is often used when the baby is newborn.

My list says "bassinet" (a moses basket) and "bassinette" as "cuna portátil". Maybe they are old fashioned words.

[xchic]

Originally Posted by irmamar

My list says "bassinet" (a moses basket) and "bassinette" as "cuna portátil". Maybe they are old fashioned words.

I think your list of translations is American English

Bassinet is an old-fashioned word, but I'm sure it's AmE rather than BrE.

[irmamar]

They are BrE because they're extracted from BrE books. One of them is by D.H. Lawrence.

Thanks, xchic.

[xchic]

Originally Posted by irmamar

They are BrE because they're extracted from BrE books. One of them is by D.H. Lawrence.

Thanks, xchic.

Really

I think definitely old-fashioned though!

[irmamar]

Originally Posted by xchic

Really

I think definitely old-fashioned though!

Sure! But my teacher insists that they are in use. They're good to know to read books, because I like 18th/19th century English literature, and I find these books quite difficult to understand. But one must be careful, since I don't want to speak or write in an old fashioned way.

[ROBINDESBOIS]

I like Moses basket is so easy to remember.

[xchic]

Originally Posted by irmamar

Sure! But my teacher insists that they are in use. They're good to know to read books, because I like 18th/19th century English literature, and I find these books quite difficult to understand. But one must be careful, since I don't want to speak or write in an old fashioned way.

I have heard it said (& tend to agree) that you can often tell when someone has studied - as opposed to learnt 'on the street' - English as a foreign language because they tend to speak more 'correctly', and also often with antiquated vocabulary.

I would imagine that the same can be said for those who have studied Spanish as a foreign language too?

[poli]

A basinet is a small portable tub used for washing infants. Latin Americans
use the term moisés for a small portable crib.

In the United States, if you go to store and ask for a manger, you will be directed to the Christmas decorations department. There you will find, among other things luminous electric mangers (Belén) used by some for decorating front yards in December and January.