avatar_Tophe

vocabulary: "what-if" in other languages, other words

Started by Tophe, September 05, 2009, 09:49:26 PM

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Tophe

In the last issue of "Le Fana de l'Aviation", I have been delighted to see the YAH-63 painted military ("AH-63A").
In English the title would of course be "what if..." but this sounds bad in French ("quoi si...") so it was "and if..." ("et si...").
Could friends here tell us:
A- the words for "what-if" in other languages (Spanish, Danish, German, ...) as "et si" in French.
I remember dear JCC used "uchronique" (uchronism, alternative history) for his Modelstories pages, while I used "irréaliste" (unrealistic)
B- other words to say "what-if" in ways that may be easier to translate
So we have "and if", "uchronic", "unrealistic", "fantasy", "dreamy", ...?

Please enrich the catalogue if you can (and are willing to)...
[the word "realistic" hurts my heart...]

puddingwrestler

The correct pronunciation in Oztralian is "WORRIF?"
This is usually said at maximum volume while waving a schooner of beer.
There are no good kits, bad kits or grail kits, just kitbash fodder.

Wyrmshadow

#2
Since my father did an aweful job teaching me how to read in polish, I have to spell this phonetically.

"What could be" is pronounced "Tzo mozeh bitch"  you pronounce the e.

yes, in polish the word that sounds like bitch is actually a form of the verb "to be".

"Gdje ona moze bitch" Where could she be?

That would be the most entertaining Whif I can think of.
Likes to re-invent the wheel
http://1wyrmshadow1.deviantart.com/

upnorth

That's not too far off how you'd say it in Czech as well, Wyrm. :thumbsup:
My Blogs:

Pickled Wings: http://pickledwings.com/

Beyond Prague: http://beyondprague.net/

Spey_Phantom

here a few lessons in dutch:

What if = Wat Als

and here some lessons in flemish:

Wo is me pinte? = where's my beer?

Kost zien = could be

tmoest zien = should be

wanair da = when that / when if

en da ist = and thats it.
on the bench:

-all kinds of things.

B777LR

Quote from: Nils on September 06, 2009, 01:28:03 AM
Wo is me pinte? = where's my beer?

= Hvor er min øl?

Øl = Beer, but "Bajer", "Stift", "Pilsner" and "Pils" can also be used. I will not mention any more, because somebody says that children browse this site...

Weaver

Quote from: Nils on September 06, 2009, 01:28:03 AM
Wo is me pinte? = where's my beer?

That would probably work in Geordiland too...... ;D

The "respectable" term for What If's in serious historical discussion is "counter-factuals" if anybody fancies translating that. Don't look at me: I'm utterly, utterly crap at languages..... :unsure:
"Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."
 - Sandman: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Neil Gaiman

"I dunno, I'm making this up as I go."
 - Indiana Jones

NARSES2

Quote from: B787 on September 06, 2009, 02:36:35 AM
Quote from: Nils on September 06, 2009, 01:28:03 AM
Wo is me pinte? = where's my beer?

= Hvor er min øl?

Øl = Beer, but "Bajer", "Stift", "Pilsner" and "Pils" can also be used. I will not mention any more, because somebody says that children browse this site...

Your'e a wicked little so and so  :wacko: ;D ;D ;D ;D
Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.

ChernayaAkula

German for "what if..?" would be "was wäre, wenn...?". You could cut it down to "was, wenn...?" (being a correct and literal translation of "what if"), but the with the verb "wäre" it sounds more natural in German. "wäre" translates to "would be". So literally translating "was wäre, wenn..." would get you "what would be, if...".
Cheers,
Moritz


Must, then, my projects bend to the iron yoke of a mechanical system? Is my soaring spirit to be chained down to the snail's pace of matter?

NARSES2

Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.

Martin H

Quote from: NARSES2 on September 07, 2009, 01:47:30 AM
No wonder I struggled with languages at school  :banghead:

Nah chris...thats just called being British
I always hope for the best.
Unfortunately,
experience has taught me to expect the worst.

Size (of the stash) matters.

IPMS (UK) What if? SIG Leader.
IPMS (UK) Project Cancelled SIG Member.

nev

Between almost-true and completely-crazy, there is a rainbow of nice shades - Tophe


Sales of Airfix kits plummeted in the 1980s, and GCSEs had to be made easier as a result - James May

NARSES2

Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.

Geoff

#13
For most Brits that don't Wif it is usually pronounced as -

" Huh! Wot'f--?"

Quote from: Weaver on September 06, 2009, 02:46:56 AM
Quote from: Nils on September 06, 2009, 01:28:03 AM
Wo is me pinte? = where's my beer?

That would probably work in Geordiland too...... ;D

Thats cos they is related.

Joe C-P

I'm reading a book called "What If?" written by military historians discussing possible alternate outcomes of various events from the life of Alexander the Great up to the 20th century. The term they use is "counterfactual".

If you're especially tricky and get people to do a double-take, it's "Wait, what?"
In want of hobby space!  The kitchen table is never stable.  Still managing to get some building done.