French Language Expert Needed
Jul 18th, 2003, 03:48 AM
#22
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I thought I'd check my dictionaries to see what definition they give for "honorer" in this context.
The Larousse monolingual French dictionary I have on CD-ROM did not mention this particular meaning, and nor did my Harraps bilingual dictionary. But Robert-Collins gives this definition: "honorer sa femme: to fulfil one's conjugal duties" but it's noted that the term is old-fashioned, or else used humorously.
PS Florence, je suis tout à fait d'accord - la langue française me réserve au moins une surprise par jour! (les joies du métier de la traduction...)
The Larousse monolingual French dictionary I have on CD-ROM did not mention this particular meaning, and nor did my Harraps bilingual dictionary. But Robert-Collins gives this definition: "honorer sa femme: to fulfil one's conjugal duties" but it's noted that the term is old-fashioned, or else used humorously.
PS Florence, je suis tout à fait d'accord - la langue française me réserve au moins une surprise par jour! (les joies du métier de la traduction...)
Jul 19th, 2003, 12:13 PM
#23
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Jenviolin, while waiting for the metro at the Champs Elysees-Clemenceau stop today, I read the sign explaining the station's name. In part, it said the station would design to "honore" Clemenceau (and they had plenty of room to write "rend hommage"
.
It would be a shame for a perfectly good, succinct, useful word to be consigned to the scrap heap simply because of an old-fashioned, obscure, rarely used alternate meaning.
We all say that we know someone, it's a common phrase, we wouldn't avoid using that phrase simply because of the seconday Biblical sense.
.It would be a shame for a perfectly good, succinct, useful word to be consigned to the scrap heap simply because of an old-fashioned, obscure, rarely used alternate meaning.
We all say that we know someone, it's a common phrase, we wouldn't avoid using that phrase simply because of the seconday Biblical sense.
Jul 19th, 2003, 12:56 PM
#24
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honorer, might also mean to commemorate
which would be why they would use the verb honorer in the case of naming a metro station , in honor of Monsieur Clemenceau,
usually a tribute when used in that context.
hanl, what do you think:
honorer nos héros de guerre OR
rendre honneur à nos héros de guerre,
which one is better.....
(to honor our war heros.)....
which would be why they would use the verb honorer in the case of naming a metro station , in honor of Monsieur Clemenceau,
usually a tribute when used in that context.
hanl, what do you think:
honorer nos héros de guerre OR
rendre honneur à nos héros de guerre,
which one is better.....
(to honor our war heros.)....
Jul 19th, 2003, 10:22 PM
#25
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Bonjour Mitch,
Definitely "rendre honneur à nos héros" ...
Bonjour Btilke,
The "naughty" meaning of honorer is not so out of fashion. Proof is that 2 persons thought it was better to warn Rick about it ;-)
There is no risk of double meaning if you speak about honoring a war hero, or if you write "j'honore mes parents", but someone who doesn't know who the watch comes from, and from what context, could make a tasteless joke.
Definitely "rendre honneur à nos héros" ...
Bonjour Btilke,
The "naughty" meaning of honorer is not so out of fashion. Proof is that 2 persons thought it was better to warn Rick about it ;-)
There is no risk of double meaning if you speak about honoring a war hero, or if you write "j'honore mes parents", but someone who doesn't know who the watch comes from, and from what context, could make a tasteless joke.
Jul 19th, 2003, 10:55 PM
#26
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Sorry, I don't agree. "honore" appears in its traditional sense in newspapers, books, museums, etc. To dump the word because of a secondary, shady meaning that even the dictionary calls "old fashioned" is pushing the envelope.
How many times have I heard parents say, in describing something their kids would have done, "I KNOW my own children." Are we all supposed to start snickering about incest?
Petty, tasteless/filthy minds can find a double meaning in almost anything.
"honorer" is a perfectly acceptable verb.
How many times have I heard parents say, in describing something their kids would have done, "I KNOW my own children." Are we all supposed to start snickering about incest?
Petty, tasteless/filthy minds can find a double meaning in almost anything.
"honorer" is a perfectly acceptable verb.
