tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post3956801016466110184..comments2024-03-27T08:49:38.786-03:00Comments on Siskoid's Blog of Geekery: Asterix French-to-English Names ExplainedSiskoidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-23078410555950455822023-09-12T14:03:36.746-03:002023-09-12T14:03:36.746-03:00I am big on keeping things original, be it charact...I am big on keeping things original, be it character names or original voices. So what if names lose their meaning in other languages? What your parents named you ain't changing when visiting or living in other countries either, right? They are Gaulles, I love their French names, even if I have to look up their French meanings.Panoramix, Idefix, Abraracourcix, Assurancetourix, Idefix, those arethe characters'names, just like Asterix and Obelix don't just change in Heroix and Justforkix or something. I'm a Dutch guy from the 80's by the way, we used to subtitle everything too and learn other people's languages. Guess that is where I get that from.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-6741158842710905122022-08-21T17:52:00.173-03:002022-08-21T17:52:00.173-03:00The German name of Geriatrix is also the best - Me...The German name of Geriatrix is also the best - Methusalix, from Methuselah, a biblical character legendary for being the man with the longest lifespan (almost 1000 years). This name made it into other languages too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-66960970886759056962022-08-21T17:38:43.397-03:002022-08-21T17:38:43.397-03:00For the chief, I think the name in the German vers...For the chief, I think the name in the German version, Majestix is the best - Majestic in English means something, and the word is appropriately humorous for the character.<br /><br />Cacofonix is the best for the bard, even if it's a bit too literal - no wonder other languages used it too.<br /><br />Idefix has a better sound for a cute little dog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-9330452441039965292020-10-15T13:55:33.659-03:002020-10-15T13:55:33.659-03:00Are you a Portuguese speaker too? Because I think ...Are you a Portuguese speaker too? Because I think it was clear I was coming from the original French only. I did not miss or confuse the puns, I guarantee you. I'm a native French speaker with a degree in both French and English.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-70390965613038010992020-10-15T13:50:55.331-03:002020-10-15T13:50:55.331-03:00Thank God you pointed this out! The author of this...Thank God you pointed this out! The author of this piece has missed or confused so many of the puns I wonder why they bothered.Soulcurlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225821898733779671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-21012280855414925512018-12-08T23:14:18.061-04:002018-12-08T23:14:18.061-04:00In Brazilian Portuguese, the names were mostly kep...In Brazilian Portuguese, the names were mostly kept: Asterix, Obelix, Panoramix, Abracurcix (that is Abraracourcix, in a shortened form, meaning "abraço de urso", i.e. a bear's embrace), Chatotorix (that is the village's bard, where "chato" means "a nuisance"), Ideiafix (the dog, literally "fixed idea"), Automatix (the blacksmith), Ordenalfabetix (the fishmonger, literally "alphabetic order"), his wife Ielosubmarina (literally as the Beatles' song), Naftalina (the chief's wife, literally naphthalin, as in mothballs).<br /><br />Incidentally, you probably never could notice that, in Astérix chez les Bretons, the British always speak "inverted". In French, and as Asterix speaks, nouns come first, then adjectives: "eau chaude" is "warm water". In English you invert: it would be "chaude eau". So the British in Asterix's book speak adjectives first and this is quite a joke on the English. But the English translation entirely loses it (I've seen it and can confirm it). Quite a loss. The Brazilian Portuguese editions preserve the joke, because as a rule we order words as the French do.<br /><br />Also incidentally, as a reference to Asterix, my wife and I always refer to tea water as "warm water", adjectives first, because of Asterix chez les Bretons.(required field must not be blank)https://www.blogger.com/profile/14861961019492994072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-77510854609978002652018-12-05T17:48:14.810-04:002018-12-05T17:48:14.810-04:00Oh, I'm not licenced for firearm use. Hopefull...Oh, I'm not licenced for firearm use. Hopefully there won't be zombies.Brendoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10913031340103600964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-86201099019639606892018-12-05T17:47:28.367-04:002018-12-05T17:47:28.367-04:00Though in this world of Cultural appropriation, th...Though in this world of Cultural appropriation, the evils of being in a majority, all the isms etc et cetera... I should point out that I may probably be wrong. Brendoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10913031340103600964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-50045014048889101332018-12-05T17:47:14.870-04:002018-12-05T17:47:14.870-04:00Either that, or the apocalypse has started. Which ...Either that, or the apocalypse has started. Which will probably be some relief, if true.LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-81170794486147637572018-12-05T17:31:29.096-04:002018-12-05T17:31:29.096-04:00Brilliant! Common usage and all that.
If Liam and...Brilliant! Common usage and all that. <br />If Liam and I agree on something it could be true...<br /> Brendoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10913031340103600964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-51250944841964772522018-12-05T17:18:37.411-04:002018-12-05T17:18:37.411-04:00I agree with Brendon regarding "dogmatic"...I agree with Brendon regarding "dogmatic". I've heard it used far more in its metaphorical sense than its original meaning. A bit like the term "canon" 😀LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-77391687756414083582018-12-03T17:12:00.177-04:002018-12-03T17:12:00.177-04:00Another curiosity of culture is the Franca lingua ...Another curiosity of culture is the Franca lingua they taught us at school in the mid Eighties... I'm pretty sure the text book we used had been around since the 60's and I've noticed a lot of the (very basic) French we learned is pretty darned archaic! I think a lot of the grammar is no longer in use by any self respecting locuteur de la langue...<br />(I was a pretty lame student, my Latin was also "abominabilis")Brendoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10913031340103600964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-67920491020710014772018-12-03T16:53:38.084-04:002018-12-03T16:53:38.084-04:00It's a curiosity of culture that you see "...It's a curiosity of culture that you see "dogmatic" primarily in it's etymological sense rather than in its common usage. <br />In all five decades of my life I've never seen the word used in relation to actual dogma, but to mean more "like dogma". It's always used in relation to a mule headed person (not literally a mule head, you understand...) who swears BLIND that their idea is right, no need to consider the facts.<br />I think you'll find that though it's used in regards to religion (the sort of people who wouldn't know God if they met Him and would complain that he's breaking all their rules) it certainly means "a fixed idea". Not fixed as in undeniably correct but fixed as in "don't question it." I'm pretty sure Soviet political literature of the 50's was dogma...Brendoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10913031340103600964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-21312614850753323692018-12-03T16:36:58.560-04:002018-12-03T16:36:58.560-04:00The word "dogmatic" can refer to being s...The word "dogmatic" can refer to being strongly and unwaveringly opinionated or principled. So I'd say "Dogmatix" works well enough; it's not quite single-mindedness, but it does convey someone whose views are "fixed ideas", I suppose?Green Luthorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11808312988625889127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-26992736716269200792018-12-03T10:28:45.390-04:002018-12-03T10:28:45.390-04:00Anon:
Maybe they were hoping that it would be an...Anon: <br /><br />Maybe they were hoping that it would be an ironic name? Or maybe it's a nickname and he's oblivious to the meaning?<br /><br />Siskoid: It was sad. I recall reading an article on the amount of work that had to go into "Asterix in Britain" just to have it make sense, due to the sheer number of untranslatable puns.LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-10234248475935509412018-12-03T09:52:21.059-04:002018-12-03T09:52:21.059-04:00Liam: I didn't know. It came up because I'...Liam: I didn't know. It came up because I'm going through each blog category alphabetically and writing a post that fits each one. A strange, sad coincidence.Siskoidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266365376486695812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-6138266967518148052018-12-03T08:49:39.339-04:002018-12-03T08:49:39.339-04:00In German, they weren't as punny. The dog is ...In German, they weren't as punny. The dog is still Idefix, but the druid is Miraculix, the chieftain is Majestix, and the bard is Cacophonix. What the hell kind of terrible parents did Cacophonix have, to give him a name that doesn't work unless he goes into music and is terrible at it?<br /><br />It's like how thd Doctor's parents named him "Pete". (Yes I still insist on believing that.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-27695096503687460222018-12-03T07:39:03.562-04:002018-12-03T07:39:03.562-04:00Asterix and to a lesser extent Tintin are what got...Asterix and to a lesser extent Tintin are what got me in to comics. Growing up whenever I went to the library I'd always check one out.<br /><br />Regarding the names being on-the-nose, I guess it depends on what age you're targeting. I read them long before I knew what "cacophony" meant, so when I found out I thought the pub was brilliant.<br /><br />There's probably a good commentary to be done on translations vs adaptions. It's interesting that with Manga and Anime we've very much moved towards the former, keeping the original names largely intact and no longer pretending that, say, Sailor Moon is actually taking place in America. The fact that lots of Japanese shows actually use English puns in the first place makes it even odder (just look at Dragon Ball and its cast of vegetables).<br /><br />Has this come up because Anthea Bell, the English translator, died back in October?LiamKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01996095233681105682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37940560.post-73005569342161916902018-12-03T07:11:40.410-04:002018-12-03T07:11:40.410-04:00I read Korean so I looked up how Asterix names wer...I read Korean so I looked up how Asterix names were translated there. However, the primary characters are only writing phonetically from the French into Korean. The puns or double meanings are lost. tomghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217504578676460449noreply@blogger.com