Archive for January 2014

Tuesday 28 January 2014
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Celtic influences in Scotland

If Scottish accents and pronunciation puzzle you, then many Scottish place names will no doubt bewilder other English speakers and English language learners alike. Visiting the Glasgow area may entail transport via the city’s surrounding areas or asking directions where such areas are mentioned in the conversation.

If seeking advice involving passing through the north western side of Glasgow, a non-Scot could find him or herself looking for signpost for an area called “Milguy”. Sadly, such a traveller will never find this place for the Scottish place name is in fact written “Milngavie”. This name is derived from Scots Gaelic, a language spoken in Scotland and originating from the Hebrides and Highlands, in addition to being a second spoken language in Nova Scotia. Gaelic itself is of Celtic origin and includes Irish and Manx.

The Gaelic word Milngavie is an Anglicisation of Muillean gaoithe or Meall na gaoithe, believed to have two meanings. The first of these is “the windmill” and the second is “the hill of the wind”.

Bear in mind also that you may hear the city of Glasgow itself being referred to differently in the form of Glasgee. Anyone would forgive you for thinking this is purely Scottish slang. Nonetheless, whatever you think of this form of reference to the city, try to remember that there is some formal explanation for this pronunciation since the Gaelic word for the city is in fact Glaschu.


It is believed that this name in fact derived from the Cumbric which was a spoken language in the area occupied by the Strathclyde area (including Glasgow) before Gaelic took root there. However, Cumbric was not a language as we would describe it today: it had no particular vocabulary or grammar which are essential for a language to be so classed. Instead, Cumbric refers to the historical evidence gathered of a Brythonic language existing in a certain area of Britain, itself deriving from the linguistic sub-branch of Celtic known as P-Celtic.
Monday 27 January 2014
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Not just in English

Here are some terms that are exactly the same in English as they are in a few other languages.

First of all, to describe something as banal is to express the sentiment that the object of your conversation is to some extent trivial, rather mundane or indeed commonplace or lacking any form of originality. Banal is written exactly the same way but with minor pronunciation differences in Spanish, Portuguese, German and French, and it is the latter language that not only gave us this word in the first place but also its definition of commonplace. In French, the term referred to military service which was mandatory throughout France and thus applied to every citizen. Hence its use to describe something as commonplace.

Another term common to more than just English, and also derived from French, more specifically Middle French, is suave. It is used to refer to someone, typically a male, who has a smooth and sophisticated manner about him, and generally has the meaning of agreeable or polite. When it originally entered the language from Middle French, which itself derived from the Latin suavis, it meant gracious or kindly. This word is exactly the same in Spanish, Portuguese and modern French, with only Spanish pronouncing the final “e” to create a second syllable.

Our third term is verbal and this too is exactly the same not only in French, Spanish and Portuguese but also in German. Verbal refers to something consisting of, expressed in, or pertaining to words. Furthermore, in grammar, verbal is used to denote that something is derived from or pertains to a verb. The word also has another sense, as in word for word or verbatim.


Finally, a cheque, albeit “check” in US English, is the same word in Spanish, French and Portuguese and each of these languages equally use it to refer to that piece of paper you complete and sign to draw funds from a back account or to place money into an account. Interestingly, in Australia and New Zealand, a cheque can be a worker’s wages or the total payment for contracted labour. 

Translations2u is a specialist provider of French translation, German translation, Portuguese to English and English to Portuguese, as well as Spanish to English and English to Spanish translation in addition to numerous other language pairs.
Wednesday 22 January 2014
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Law and its translation

The term “breach” is used in a variety of ways in English but we are concerned here with its use in a legal context. That does not, however, narrow down the topic of this article. Law is essentially an umbrella term for many different fields of expertise. When we talk of a breach of a law, everyone has an idea that the content of that law, namely its provisions, whether prohibitions or requirements, has been ignored deliberately, carelessly, unwittingly or accidentally without carelessness.

There are several other terms that are used interchangeably in a legal context, and less formally, that mean breach although their use is context specific. For instance, a violation implies a more intentional defiance of a law or of others’ rights, whereas infringement can mean a breach of a given rule or agreement, but it can also mean an encroachment or trespass, in other words, exceeding normal boundaries.

So, when the word “breach” appears, the context must be fully considered and analysed to ensure its correct translation into another language. Therefore,  before he or she can even consider other language equivalents, the translator must have a full understanding of the context and specific field of law in which the term is used and the precise meaning of the term in that particular text. Then comes the task of researching other language options and ensuring the selected term is indeed the most accurate equivalent to the particular field, context and document.

The preceding paragraph in particular highlights aspects of the translation process that many people fail to consider and that many fail to understand. Research is an absolute necessity when translating any subject matter and is vitally important in the field of legal translation. A serious legal translator must have some level of qualification or training in law to be competent to translate important documents and anyone who has studied law to degree level, as many legal translators have, knows that research is key to the successful outcome of any task involving legal matters.

Sadly, these skills and components of the translation process are disregarded by many people who are often blinded by antiquated stereotypes of what a translator’s job entails. Of course, legal translation services, whether provided by a company with quality assurance processes or by a careful freelancer, never merit the fees claimed by experienced lawyers because quite simply, legal translators mostly are not experienced lawyers. Nonetheless, the level of knowledge, time and effort involved in translating for the legal field is generally the same.


Translations2u specialises in legal translation and offers business translation and technical translation between several language pairs. Find out more about us now! Got a questions? Here's our FAQ.
Tuesday 21 January 2014
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Burn's Night - a Scottish tradition

Burns’ Night is a special Scottish celebration which commemorates the life and works of a famous poet from Scotland named Robert (Rabbie) Burns who contributed greatly to the country’s culture and history.  The date of the festivities is always either on or close to January 25th, the day of Burns’ birthday.  Burns’ Night has many different components including a dinner known as “Burns’ Supper,” toasts, the reading of famous Burns poetry, the playing of bagpipes and more.  It is also typical for attendees to wear traditional Scottish clothing such as kilts and dresses made from the wearer’s family tartan.

The typical order of events, though the celebration may be formal or informal, is fairly consistent.  There is normally music playing to welcome the guests and in a more traditional Burns’ Night celebration the musical entertainment would be live bagpipers.  Next, the event’s host formally welcomes their guests and reads a prayer prior to serving them a meal.  The prayer is called “The Selkirk Grace” but it is also often referred to as “Burns’ Grace at Kirkcudbright.”  Then, comes the meal’s most revered ingredient known as the haggis is brought into the room in a procession that includes bagpipers, the celebration’s host and the chef. 

While this grand entrance parade takes place, guests clap enthusiastically in anticipation of the delicious food. Whisky will be served to accompany the meal and there is an address and a toast to the haggis prior to dinnertime that includes the Burn’s poem “Address to a Haggis”.  Finally, it’s time for the dinner itself and, after eating, there is an array of entertainment to culminate the evening that incorporates music, poetry reciting and speeches.

The dinner itself consists typically of traditional Cock-a-leekie soup, Haggis, Tatties (potatoes), Neeps (turnips), Clootie Dumplings and pudding.  The alcoholic beverages are also quite important.  Scottish whisky is always served and is often accompanied by a quality selection of wines and ales.

Burns’ Night is a lively and traditional Scottish celebration that really shows how vibrant the country’s culture is.  

It is an event that brings people together to commemorate a famous Scottish person who made a difference to Scottish people and their culture.  The night is filled with great entertainment, food, traditions and company.  While the evening is extremely important in Scotland in particular, it is also celebrated in other countries where Scottish heritage is commonly found around the world including Canada, Australia and the United States.

Translations2u is a uk based translation company offering legal translation and other document translation services.
Monday 20 January 2014
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Spanish v Portuguese alphabet #2

The next few comparisons of the Portuguese and Spanish alphabets range from H to L.

The first of these “H” is pronounced completely differently in each of these languages with the Spanish pronunciation being the closest to English. Spanish “H” therefore is pronounced “ah-cheh” using the same “ch” sound as the English pronunciation of the final “ch” sound in the letter “H”. Meanwhile, in Portuguese, the pronunciation is much harder, this letter being pronounced as “ah-gah” with a hard “g”.

“I” is pronounced exactly the same way in both languages, namely as “ee” but the next difference lies in the next letter of the alphabet. A similarity is to be found in the final syllable of this pronunciation although the sound of the first syllable in Portuguese is closer to that of the English pronunciation of this word. Spanish pronounces “J” with the guttural “ch” (like the Scottish “loch”) in the first syllable and is expressed as “jota”, therefore, “chawtah”. The Portuguese is “like the English “J” as in the name Jake but softer like the French Jean, and is therefore pronounced “zhawtah”.

The letter “K” is pronounced only one way in Spanish but has 2 pronunciations is Portuguese. The former is pronounced “ka” similarly to the English “k” sound whereas the latter is pronounced either exactly the same way as “ka” or very often as “kappa”.

Finally, and to the Anglophone’s relief, “L” is pronounced in Portuguese as it would be in English, simply as “el”. The Spanish pronunciation is similar to other pronunciations of the Spanish alphabet, namely by adding an “eh” to the end. Spanish “L” is then pronounced “eleh”.

Translations2u specialises in English to Spanish translation and guarantees to provide the right Spanish to English translator for your projects. We are equally competent in the translation of  Portuguese to English and English to Portuguese texts and will have a Portuguese translator suited to your requirements.
Wednesday 15 January 2014
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Portuguese v Spanish alphabets #1

This new mini-series of articles will deal with distinctions in the pronunciation of the letters of the alphabet between the Spanish and Portuguese languages.

It’s not only words spelt the same way in Spanish and Portuguese but with different meanings that can cause confusion for learners of these languages, the pronunciation varies significantly in over half of the letters of the alphabet.

The Spanish letter “C” has two sounds depending on where you are from. Either a soft “ss” sound if you’re southern Spanish, from the Canary Islands or Latin America. Throughout most of Spain, it has a “th” sound, a soft sound like that in the English “with” rather than a harder sound as in “the”. In Portuguese, the letter “C” is soft. In both languages it is pronounced “say” or “seh”, or alternatively, with the “th” sound.

The first five letters of both languages’ alphabets are pronounced in pretty much the same way: ah, beh, seh, deh, eh. We come to “F” and Portuguese is the same as English whereas Spanish pronounces this letter “efeh”.

The next letter has a completely different sound in both languages however. This is where the almost guttural sound of Spanish is first heard in this language. “G” is pronounced as a guttural/aspirate “hay” or “geh” much like the Scottish “ch” in “loch”. Portuguese pronunciation of this letter is a much harder sound and is pronounced as “gay” or “geh”. A distinguishing feature of the Portuguese “G” is that when it is pronounced in an acronym, for example, when referring to the Portuguese GNR, or “Guarda Nacional Republicana”, almost equivalent to the regular police patrol officers of the UK, “G” is pronounced more softly as in “George”.


Translations2u is a specialist in English to Spanish translation as well as having the right Spanish to English translator for any project. Portuguese to English and English toPortuguese translation are also fields of expertise with a Portuguese translator suited to our clients’ projects.
Monday 13 January 2014
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More Britishness....

Another little mini-post about the British. This time, it's about the British and the French. Do the British really hate the French? Or is this just another myth?

Every nation has its national nemesis. Look at the USA and Canada, or at least how we Brits are led to perceive the relationship through American TV shows and films. The equivalent would be the British and the French, or more specifically, the English and the French. The Scots, Welsh and Irish generally don't have too much beef with anyone other than the English. 

 References to garlic, snails and frog legs are common references to our cross-channel neighbours although mostly only heard in TV comedy shows from about 20+ years ago and among those of a slightly older generation. We're far more cultured and tolerant nowadays, at least where the French are concerned, and doubtless no different to any other nation seeking simplistic humour. 

 With some 3 million Brits in 2010 being of French descent1 no name-calling can really be taken seriously. What's more, if the British hated the French so much, why would over 17,000,000 of them visit France every year?2 The 225,000 British ex-pats registered in France3 as at June 2012 would probably disagree that the British and French are national enemies.

 What do you think?

1 http://www.noseygenealogist.com/blog/81/vive-la-difference-revealed-brits-love-to-hate-the-french
2 https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france
3 http://britishexpats.com/news/latest/expats-world-hands/

Translations2u is a UK based translation company specialising in legal translation and business translation.
Tuesday 7 January 2014
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First....

The English language, like many others, has numerous expressions that focus on a single word yet the expressions themselves have different meanings. Here are few. Feel free to add your own in the comments section below.

First things first. This phrase is typically used when organising one's affairs and is often used at the beginning of a sentence. Its essential meaning is "Let's prioritise".

Once you've gotten your plan together and you have an idea of what you want to do, you'll then consider when you actually want to implement this plan. As it's never a good idea to procrastinate, especially when you have your priorities all right, the best time is probably first thing. This expression is normally used to refer to early in the day and used in the context of getting something done first thing in the morning. In other words, this has to be the very first thing on your agenda that you set out to do. It can also be heard where there is a sense of urgency and the act must be performed without delay.

First off has a similar meaning but is probably less formal and implies that something has to be done immediately or at the outset. It is really another way of saying "firstly" or "first of all".

First hand is another expression that can cause the non-native English speaker difficulty. If you come to know of something "first hand", it means you discovered it from the original source, from someone who directly experienced the incident, for instance.

Further expressions incorporating "first" include to cast the first stone. Someone who casts the first stone is someone who is quick to judge, normally the person who is first to condemn another who has done wrong.

Our final expression using "first" is love at first sight which is most likely the most understood by English learners. If you experience "love at first sight" it means you are attracted romantically to someone from the first time you saw them.
Monday 6 January 2014
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What is a "first footer"?

This term, "first footer", given to a person who practises the act of "first footing", most likely makes little sense to non-native speakers of the English language. In fact, not every English speaker knows what this refers to or has even heard of the practice!

This is because "first footing" is a term that arose in Scotland in the UK in connection with New Year practices. In Scotland, the celebration of the new year is a pretty big thing with "Ne'erday" being used to refer to both New Year's Day and to the tipple of alcohol traditionally consumed at the time. It may be of interest to note that New Year's Eve is known as Hogmanay in Scotland when there are numerous celebrations of the event.

So, back to "first footing". This is the practice of the Scottish tradition of calling on friends or family following the new year to wish them well. The "first footer", however, must traditionally be a dark-haired male since a member of the opposite sex or a blonde man would be considered bad luck.  The overriding sentiment of goodwill behind the visit is apparent in the bringing of certain items representing warmth (a piece of coal), food (traditionally a form of fruit cake), wealth (in the form of salt) and cheer (in the form of a half bottle of whisky).  Shortbread is now commonly taken as the food item and just about any alcoholic beverage would suffice nowadays. Modern times in Scotland have more or less dispensed with the need for coal or salt to be offered.

If you would like to know anything else about Scottish or other British expressions or life there, why not come along to our Facebook page where we will be pleased to try and answer your questions.

Translations2u is a UK based provider of language services offering editing and proofreading of English texts and other languages as well as specialising in the translation of multiple languages.